In a survey released this morning by Scioto Analysis, 13 of 19 economists agreed that the new Child Care Cred affordability program announced by Ohio Governor DeWine in September 2025 will improve educational outcomes for children in Ohio. The Child Care Cred affordability program will allow families whose incomes are between 200% to 400% of the federal poverty line to share childcare costs with their employers and the state. Through the program, employees will cover 40%, employers will cover 40%, and the state will cover the remaining 20% of childcare costs.
Respondents voiced opinions that subsidized childcare can improve educational performance later in life, free up money for parents to spend on other resources for their children, and help improve social mobility among low-income children and families. As Jonathan Andreas of Bluffton University commented, “Most children in America have gotten an educational boost by going to professional childcare centers because the average American kid grows up [in a] low-income, low-education household where they get less mental stimulation than they would get in a professional childcare center”.
Michael Jones of the University of Cincinnati disagreed with the consensus, suggesting that if the Child Care Cred affordability program pushes mothers back to work more quickly, child educational outcomes may suffer. He notes, “A growing body of research shows that mothers who spend more time at home with their young children, rather than rushing back to work, see better outcomes for both themselves and their children. [...] In addition, children who spend more time with a parent in their early years (rather than in institutional care) can realize increased cognitive skills and stronger emotional development”.
While most economists agreed that the Child Care Cred affordability program would improve educational outcomes for children, they had mixed opinions on how work requirements for public childcare programs would impact economic outcomes like unemployment rates. In Ohio, parents must now work at least 33 hours per week to qualify for full-time publicly funded childcare benefits. Three economists agreed that work requirements for publicly funded childcare will reduce unemployment rates, nine economists disagreed, and nine economists were uncertain. David Brasington of the University of Cincinnati disagreed that work requirements for publicly funded childcare will reduce unemployment rates, explaining that, “Almost all daycare subsidy recipients use the daycare money to free up time to engage in market work already”.
The Ohio Economic Experts Panel is a panel of over 30 Ohio Economists from over 30 Ohio higher educational institutions conducted by Scioto Analysis. The goal of the Ohio Economic Experts Panel is to promote better policy outcomes by providing policymakers, policy influencers, and the public with the informed opinions of Ohio’s leading economists. Individual responses to all surveys can be found here.