Governor Dewine held his State of the State address this afternoon. The first priority Governor Dewine outlined was Ohio’s children. Under the umbrella of helping Ohio’s children, Governor Dewine outlined education, health and wellbeing, behavioral health, and foster care as priorities in the coming year.
Governor Dewine thanked supporters of the Science of Reading initiative, passed in last year’s budget bill (HB33). While he stressed that reading improvements are already being seen throughout the state, Governor Dewine also stressed the importance of colleges and universities preparing future teachers to align their teacher training programs with the tenets of the Science of Reading.
Governor Dewine also released a new “Childcare Choice Voucher Program” will provide childcare for up to 8,000 children whose families make up to 200% of the poverty line or $60,000 for a family of four.
Major themes throughout this State of the State were clear – Governor Dewine and his cabinet are continuing to prioritize education while also spending more time focusing on early childhood education, daycares, and the health and wellbeing of Ohio’s children. As is expected, most roads in this State of the State lead back to jobs in Ohio – more daycare opportunities lead to more work opportunities for parents of small children. Governor Dewine is also highlighting work around career tech and career planning in high schools.
To read the entirety of Governor Dewine’s State of the State, please click here.