A Celebration of Joy: CDF-Ohio to Honor State Leaders, Uplift Youth Advocates
(Sept. 8, 2026) - CDF-Ohio’s ‘A Celebration of Joy’ will recognize three Ohioans for their contributions to advancing the well-being of young people in the Buckeye State.
Press Release
-
-
Ohio Ranks 27th for Child Well-Being in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book as CDF-Ohio Urges Leaders to Focus More on Supporting Thriving Children, Families
June 9, 2026 - New scoring index aims to increase accountability by showing how the state’s policies, investment affect daily lives of youngest Ohioans.
| Ohio -
New CDF-Ohio Research Details the ‘Quiet Undoing’ of School Discipline Reform in Ohio Public Schools
CDF-Ohio’s report shows during the 2024-2025 school year, Black, non-Hispanic students were four and a half times more likely than White students to experience exclusionary discipline in Ohio.
| Ohio -
New CDF-Ohio Report Examines Gun Violence’s Psychological Impact on Youth, Economic Cost to State’s Communities
As gun violence remains a leading cause of death for Ohio’s youth, CDF-Ohio urges lawmakers to reverse this trend by investing in community-based interventions and enacting Child Access Prevention mandates.
| Ohio -
Service Announcements
Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio, Freedom Schools Scholars to Rally at Statehouse
On Wednesday, July 23, more than 200 scholars will gather alongside Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus for a youth-led rally in support of public education.
| Ohio -
Child Welfare
CDF-Ohio’s Statement on State Budget Proposal: ‘This budget sends a clear message to Ohio’s children and families – you are not the priority’
On Monday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine must sign or issue line-item vetoes on the state’s multibillion dollar budget proposal recently passed by the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate.
| Ohio -
KIDS Count
Ohio Ranks 31st in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book for Child Well-Being
Data shows Ohio’s child poverty rate remains unchanged, affecting child well-being, the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds.
| Ohio -
Child Health
Experts to Brief Ohio Children’s Caucus on Medicaid’s Impact on State’s Youth as Federal Lawmakers Weigh Program Cuts
Health experts and youth experts are concerned cuts to Medicaid would jeopardize the well-being of hundreds of thousands of children in Ohio. In 2023, approximately 1.4 million Ohio children were enrolled in Medicaid, according to KIDS COUNT Ohio.
| Ohio -
Child Health
Ohio Children’s Budget Coalition Releases FY '26-'27 Budget Report, Urges Lawmakers to Adopt 70+ Child Friendly Proposals
The Ohio Children’s Budget Coalition (OCBC), a partnership of more than 20 organizations committed to the health and well-being of children, has released its biennial budget report, Creating a Vision of Child Well-being for Ohio.
| Ohio -
Census
CDF-Ohio Finds Some Proposals in Governor’s Budget Encouraging as Data Suggests Almost 470,000 OH Youth Continue to Struggle with Poverty
Research suggests nearly half a million children in Ohio continue to suffer from the devastating impacts of poverty. The findings, which come from Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio's (CDF-Ohio) 2024 Kids Count® Data Profiles, show it would be wise for Ohio to adopt some of the youth-based budget proposals presented by Governor Mike DeWine.
| Ohio