A transformative public-private partnership administered by the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce through a grant from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth should make childcare a little more affordable for parents of at least 100 children in 2026. It should also help those parents stay at work while their children are cared for in safe, nurturing environments.
The program is called North Coast CARE (an acronym that stands for Childcare Access for Retention and Employment). It matches an employer’s contribution of $200 per month with state matching funds for a total benefit of $400 per child per month.
“Early in 2025, we did a survey with our local employers, chamber members, to see who might be interested in participating in the program,” says Tony L. Gallo, former president and CEO of the Lorain County Chamber, who stepped down from his post earlier this month. “The state is dictating the guidelines in terms of the grant funding.”
Gallo coordinated the efforts for the implementation of North Coast CARE, which will be launched in October 2026. Due to grant funding, the program is capped at 100 children at any time, with enrollment on a first-come, first-served basis.
“It’s also supposed to sunset on December 31, 2026, but we’re hoping the program will be so well received that it gets an extension,” adds Gallo. “We want to continue working with employers to help fill available positions while helping their employees with childcare beyond the end of 2026.”
Gallo has led the Chamber for more than 12 years and worked at the Chamber as director of business development for many years before that. Nico Samaniego is the new president and CEO of the Lorain County Chamber.
“I really have to commend our county leaders for getting this program up and running in Lorain County,” says Samaniego. “This program addresses a very significant challenge that our workforce is facing. Childcare costs are often a barrier to people getting back into the workforce.”
Naturally, Lorain County childcare providers also are in full support of the program.
“The grant works by creating a three-way partnership,” explains David Smith, executive director at Horizon Education Centers, a childcare provider with six locations in Lorain County. “The Chamber acts as the grantee passing through state funds that match an employer’s contributions, with the parents providing the remaining funds for childcare tuition.”
And childcare costs can often run as high as $1,200 per month per child or more.
“While there are a lot of state programs to assist with childcare, the income requirements to qualify for the programs are quite low, so many working-class families don’t qualify for assistance,” Smith adds. “One in three working parents in our state have either reduced their hours or dropped out of the workforce altogether in order to deal with the cost of childcare.”
Obviously, it’s much better for Lorain County’s economy and local businesses if parents can stay in the workforce. It also offers participating businesses a nice edge in terms of employee recruitment and retention.
“We also have to look at this program in terms of workforce development,” says Gallo. “Not only are we keeping parents in their careers, but we are also making sure our children have access to preschool and are reading early. Now we just have to show the state how this program is a benefit to our local employers so they will extend the program after the end of 2026.”
This, of course, falls on the shoulders of the incoming president and CEO of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce.
“This program might not be a magic key,” Samaniego says, “but it is a critical piece in solving at least one of the barriers that prevent people from returning to work.”
For more information regarding North Coast CARE, go to loraincountychamber.com/care
