To enact section 5104.54 of the Revised Code to establish the Child Care Cred Program and to make an appropriation.
HB2 creates the Child Care Cred Program within the Ohio Department of Children and Youth to help cover child care costs for participating workers. Under the program, child care expenses would be shared equally by the employee, the employer, and, if funds are available, the state department. The bill’s stated goals are to help employers recruit and keep workers, reduce child care costs for employees, and support the financial stability of child care providers.
To participate, an employee must live in Ohio and be selected by an Ohio employer, and the child care provider must be either licensed under Ohio child care law or certified by a county department of job and family services. Employers and employees would apply jointly, and the department would determine eligibility, coordinate payments, and may require memoranda of understanding among the parties. The bill also allows employers to contribute more than their share, permits employees to use an existing eligible provider, and authorizes the department to adopt implementing rules. It includes a fraud penalty that permanently bars an employee or employer from the program if the department finds fraud, misrepresentation, or deception.
The bill also makes a $10 million General Revenue Fund appropriation for fiscal year 2026 for the program, with no appropriation shown for fiscal year 2027. This means HB2 would not only create a new statutory program but also provide initial funding for its operation through the Department of Children and Youth. The measure would add a new section to the Revised Code governing child care assistance and administrative procedures for the program.
The available voting history suggests generally favorable committee treatment, with the House re-referring the bill twice by large margins and no recorded committee testimony in the materials provided. Because there are no transcripts, the public sentiment can only be inferred from the votes and the bill’s policy design: it appears to have been viewed as a workforce and family-support measure rather than a controversial regulatory change. The lack of recorded opposition in the provided materials suggests broad procedural support, though the bill’s final policy details were still under committee consideration.
The main points of potential contention are likely the use of state funds, the extent of employer participation, and the administrative burden of implementing a three-way cost-sharing program. Some stakeholders may question whether the state should subsidize child care in this way, whether the program will reach enough families to justify the appropriation, and how eligibility, fraud prevention, and provider participation will be managed. Employers and child care providers may also have differing views on whether the program’s structure sufficiently balances cost-sharing, flexibility, and oversight.
HB2 would add a new child care subsidy program to Ohio law, creating a statutory framework in the Revised Code for shared child care costs among employees, employers, and the Department of Children and Youth. It would affect Ohio employers, working parents, and licensed or certified child care providers, while also authorizing administrative rules and a $10 million GRF appropriation for initial implementation in fiscal year 2026.
Based on the available voting history, the bill appears to have received generally positive treatment in the House Children and Human Services Committee, with strong re-referral votes and no recorded committee testimony in the materials provided. The policy itself is framed as pro-workforce and pro-family, suggesting broad appeal, though the absence of transcripts limits the ability to identify detailed public sentiment beyond procedural support.
The likely areas of disagreement are fiscal cost, the role of employers in subsidizing child care, and the administrative complexity of the program. Critics may question whether state funds should be used for this purpose or whether the program could be difficult to administer fairly, while supporters are likely to emphasize workforce retention, employee affordability, and support for child care providers. Fraud penalties and rulemaking authority may also draw attention if stakeholders worry about access, oversight, or regulatory burden.