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Lucas County Children Services Applauds Governor’s
Unprecedented Investments in Child Protection
Children services funding to
nearly double
Before an audience of county
children services agency leaders, including Lucas County
Children Services (LCCS) executive director Robin Reese,
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced an unprecedented
95 percent increase in the state’s investment in protecting
abused and neglected children. That $74 million
announcement, along with related spending proposals, makes
good on a campaign promise that Ohio should not be last in
the nation when it comes to the state’s responsibility for
funding such a critical program. |
Gov. Mike Dewine and LCCS
Executive Director Robin Reese |
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“This proposed investment is
very needed in Lucas County. While the number of child abuse
reports declined slightly between 2017 and 2018, the number
of substantiated abuse victims jumped 16 percent. The number
of calls involving suspected abuse or neglect that were
confirmed rose five percent in that same period, because the
referrals we investigated involved more serious situations,”
Reese said.
“Governor DeWine is standing
up for the vulnerable children and families of Lucas
County,” Reese added. “This investment will help us address
the crisis in our children services system by providing
funding to offset rising placement costs, serving families
struggling with addiction and mental illness, preventing
children from coming into foster care, and providing more
suitable placements for children who do have to come into
custody.”
In addition to increasing
the State Child Protection Allocation by $30 million per
year, up from $60 million, to give struggling county
agencies the ability to pay the rising costs of serving
children, Governor DeWine announced:
* $25 million for
multi-system youth, to prevent parents from having to
relinquish custody of children with developmental
disabilities or severe mental illness so that they can get
the treatment they need;
* $8.5 million to
support struggling grandparents and other kin care providers
who unexpectedly find themselves caring for children, and to
invest in recruiting much-needed foster parents;
* $5.5 million to expand
the Bridges program for youth who emancipate from our system
without achieving permanency;
* $4.5 million to expand
evidence-based programs like Ohio START, a wrap-around
sobriety and trauma treatment program being piloted in
several counties; and 30 Days to Family to prevent children
from coming into foster care; and
* $2.6 million to help
our caseworkers be more efficient and productive in the
field.
“The Governor is saving a
system in crisis and making wise investments,” Reese said.
“These programs will alleviate the pressure on our county
agency budget, which has struggled to pay rising costs. But
more importantly, he is saving children and families by
improving their chance for a better future.”
LCCS is a longstanding
member of Public Children Services Association of Ohio,
which is working with county agencies across the state and
other stakeholders to support the Governor’s proposals. “The
Governor’s leadership, with the support of his
administration, will afford Ohio’s vulnerable children and
families the quality services that will strengthen our state
across the board,” Angela Sausser, executive director of the
PCSAO said, adding, “As an association, we stand ready to
work with our local legislators on the Governor’s
proposals.”
About Lucas County Children
Services
The mission of Lucas County
Children Services is to lead the community in the protection
of children at risk of abuse and neglect. This is
accomplished by working with families, service providers and
community members to assess risk and coordinate
community-based services resulting in safe, stable and
permanent families for children.
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