American Rescue Plan Act Advocacy

The Ohio Children's Budget Coalition believes that if we continue to collaborate with our established OCBC network, committed to maximizing outcomes for Ohio's children by eliminating silos and moving forward comprehensive, coordinated continuum of services and programs that help children, then we can continue to foster collective support for a child-centered agenda, beyond that of just the state budget, and advance policies and priorities that promote child well-being through the influx of federal dollars.

Rather than pausing our collective work until the next biennium, we believe the OCBC can leverage its unique position and partnership to continue advancing whole child-wellbeing at the state level through advocacy around allocation of the federal funds. 

 The Coalition recognizes that the American Rescue Plan Act presents a unique and important opportunity for the state to invest in children. The OCBC sent a letter to the Governor, his administration, and the Ohio legislature that includes a set of recommendations for ARPA state fiscal fund investments. Those recommendations include:  Expansion of School-Based Health Centers (SBHC's) throughout Ohio; One-time Direct Payments for Essential Workers with Low Wages who Have Children; Child Tax Credit Navigator Network; and Improved and Modernized Early Learning Facilities. Download the full memo below.