Legislators on the House Children and Human Services Committee heard testimony today from officials underscoring the need for children services funding in Gov. DeWine’s proposed budget.
Highland County Job & Family Services Director Jeremy Ratcliff recalled his time leading the county’s probation department and asking commissioners there not to cut his budget in order to make up unexpected costs in children services. Now that he oversees the Public Children Services Agency (PCSA) for the county, he understands.
“For the first time in my career, I am unable to control expenses,” Ratcliff said. “PCSAs do not take custody of children, we are ordered custody, and we cannot say no. Nor can we ignore the calls for reports of abuse/neglect/dependency.”
Ratcliff added that one such recent call brough a sibling group of three into care, with the cost for each child at $500 per day, totaling $45,000 per month for the sibling group. Read Ratcliff’s testimony.
In her testimony, PCSAO Executive Director Angela Sausser (pictured left) pointed to language in the proposed budget that would help PCSAs reverse this trend and bring predictability to rates. Funding also supports a new concept called regional child wellness campuses that would stabilize children in crisis. “This kind of center is a much-needed solution to keeping children from having to spend a night at a county agency,” Sausser said, “but even more so to provide critical de-escalation, screenings, diagnostic assessments and treatment planning.” Read Sausser’s testimony.
Ross County Commissioner Jack Everson (pictured right) expressed the support of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio for the increase to the State Child Protection Allocation ($55 million over the biennium), the one-time investment for the child wellness campuses ($30 million over the biennium) and the placement cost-stabilization policy measure. The cost of foster care for the three-county Ross/Hocking/Vinton consolidated agency has increased by 252%, from $3.99 million in 2015 to $10.08 million in 2024. In Ross County alone, the cost has been higher, at 265%, he said.
“At the end of the day, these are our kids and they become our adults,” Commissioner Everson said. “They deserve to have the best care we can give them. Our youth get one childhood. Failing to invest properly in this system will continue to have consequences for the youth and upstream effects on our other adult-centered systems for years to come.” Read Everson’s testimony.
Ratcliff (pictured left) ended his testimony with a plea. “Members of this Committee, this is what I am asking you to invest in – a safe place where children will be loved,” he said. “There is no higher funding priority.”
Watch the panel testimony on The Ohio Channel (beginning at the 3:24 marker).