ABC's and 123's:

Forward Momentum

Tasha Booker, CEO, Action for Children 

If my first message to you was about listening, this one is about what I’m hearing, and how it’s shaping where we go next. 

Over the past few months, I’ve spent time with parents, child care professionals, business leaders, and community partners across central Ohio. And while every conversation is different, a few themes continue to rise to the surface. Families are doing everything they can and still struggling to find care that works for their lives and budgets. Child care professionals remain deeply committed, but are navigating burnout, staffing shortages, and unsustainable wages. And increasingly, employers are recognizing that child care challenges are workforce challenges. 

We are also elevating these conversations in public spaces. Recently, we joined community leaders at the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s State of Child Care panel to share findings from our Central Ohio Child Care Provider Survey and highlight the lived experiences of families and providers across our region.  

What feels different right now is not just the urgency but the shared willingness to find solutions. 

At Action for Children, we are leaning into that momentum. We have officially begun our strategic planning process, grounded in what we are hearing from the community and focused on building stronger, more sustainable early childhood systems for the future. 

And alongside this work, our team continues to take action every day; supporting families, strengthening providers, and partnering across sectors to move solutions forward. Part of the work is opening our doors to the community with our new Resource Room—dedicated for families and providers to have access to materials, supports, and resources for their classrooms and family rooms. This is what forward momentum looks like. 

This work is complex, and progress doesn’t happen overnight. But it is happening. What gives me the most optimism is this: across every conversation, there is a growing recognition that we all have a role to play and a shared commitment to doing better, together. 

Thank you for being part of this work. The momentum we are building is because of you.