“This is just an attempt to further defund the child care system,” said Tami Lunan, director of the Care Economy Organizing Project, an advocacy group representing Ohio child care providers. Parents, teachers, child care workers and community members protest the harassment child care providers experienced following a conservative influencer's video alleging widespread fraud. Smith is also concerned about due process for child care providers in the current environment. ... I’m in Appalachia where there are whole counties that do not have a center that takes publicly funded child care. But he said he was certain lawmakers could come up with a low- or no-cost plan that parents and child care providers would be comfortable with.

Source: Huffington Post February 21, 2026 16:29 UTC