Dear School-Age Child Care and/or Preschool Administrators in Ohio Department of Education-Licensed Sites,
On Sunday March 22, 2020, Governor DeWine announced all child care providers in the state of Ohio must stop operating as of Thursday, March 26, 2020, unless designated as a pandemic child care program. This means all school-age child care programs and preschools licensed by the Ohio Department of Education must be closed, unless they have received designation as a pandemic child care program from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. A school district can apply for this designation, as can another entity (for example, a YMCA or parks and recreation center) that plans to use a school building as the pandemic child care program location.
To learn more about the parameters and application process to seek and become designated as a pandemic child care program, click here. Please take note of the reduced maximum class size and teacher-to-student ratios required to operate with this temporary license. To speak to a child care specialist at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, call the Child Care Help Desk at (877) 302-2347. The Ohio Department of Education cannot make this designation for any program. For other questions about licensing or Step Up To Quality, please contact the Ohio Department of Education at OELSR.licensing@education.ohio.gov.