Dr. Eric Karolak is Chief Executive Officer of Action for Children, the source for childcare and early learning services in central Ohio. Previously, he directed the efforts of the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC), an alliance of more than 8,000 early learning programs providing care and education for nearly 1 million children across the U.S.
From 2001 to 2006, Dr. Karolak led the National Child Care Information Center, the largest federal clearinghouse and technical assistance center focused on childcare and early education for low-income families. He has worked closely with states developing the technical aspects of childcare assistance programs, quality rating systems and partnerships across early childhood programs. He has conducted policy research and fiscal analysis in the areas of child welfare, childcare, women’s labor force participation and public housing, and has testified before committees of several state legislatures and both houses of Congress.
Dr. Karolak also has served on numerous boards and advisory panels, including those of national early childhood organizations, a nonprofit childcare center, a local government agency and a metropolitan United Way. He currently serves on the boards of the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association, the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Human Services Chamber of Franklin County, and also is a member of the Future Ready Columbus Advisory Council and the Groundwork Ohio Advisory Council. He holds a doctorate from The Ohio State University.