The Ohio House version of the new two-year state budget has proposed doubling the $30 million Gov. Mike DeWine asked for to take care of foster children in Ohio.
Scott Britton with the Public Children’s Services Association of Ohio uses two words to describe his feelings about the increase in the House budget.
“We were blown away," Britton says.
Britton says child services providers have been stretched to the limit, largely as a result of the opioid crisis in Ohio.
“We have seen a $109 million dollar increase in placement costs since 2013. These costs are born largely by counties," Britton says
Britton says that increase is simply unsustainable without the added dollars provided in this budget. Before this increase, Ohio’s public children services had the lowest state funding levels in the nation.
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