Representatives Plummer and Young Hold Press Conference on New Childcare Integrity Legislation

COLUMBUS—State Representatives Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) today held a press conference on newly introduced legislation they are jointly sponsoring to uphold the integrity of state-funded childcare in Ohio. 

Key provisions of House Bill 647 are as follows:

• Gives authority to the Ohio Attorney General to investigate and prosecute any publicly funded childcare program suspected of fraud;
• Allows the Department of Children and Youth (DCY) to immediately suspend a license and provider agreement under the suspicion of fraud; and
• Provides an appropriation to support enhanced data analytics to conduct automated attendance reviews of publicly funded childcare providers, increasing accountability.

“The new antifraud measures in this bill will crackdown on the theft of taxpayer dollars and eliminate loopholes identified by the department,” said Plummer.

“A key aspect of this bill is there are 5,200 childcare centers being monitored and over 100,000 children a day,” said Young. “This bill will help create a system of advanced analytics to aid in the detection and the protection of taxpayers’ dollars. And I want to be clear what this bill does not do. The bill does not: (1) reduce eligibility for families currently receiving care, (2) eliminate transitional childcare, (3) target providers who are operating safely and lawfully, or (4) reduce childcare for working families.”

"This legislation reinforces a shared commitment to protect children and ensure every taxpayer dollar is used responsibly," said Kara Wente, Director of DCY, who joined today’s press conference. "Governor DeWine has consistently emphasized strong oversight and accountability in Ohio's childcare system. Good providers will feel supported by these changes, while bad actors will continue to face consequences. And Ohio families will continue to have access to safe, high-quality childcare driven by strong oversight and accountability.”

The legislation awaits a House committee assignment.