Ashland County asks commissioners for more funds

Foster care costs straining budget
Minnear, Travis. Ashland Times Gazette, Sept. 12, 2008.

Citing additional financial strain from an unusually high number of children requiring care, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services officials asked commissioners Thursday for additional funds.

ACDJFS Director Gary Hannan said his department needs an additional $360,000 to provide for foster care expenses because $840,000 already appropriated for such services has been spent. He said money is needed immediately because the department cannot pay bills its been holding without it. In addition, Hannan said, the department needs a $287,103 transfer from the county general fund to provide services through December for children in custody.

"Children are languishing too long in the foster care system on a national level, in Ohio and, I'm sad to say, right here in Ashland County," Hannan said.

According to ACDJFS, placement costs for children in custody are projected to exceed $1.2 million for the year, which amounts to about $68,000 less than 2007. Hannan said children services was appropriated $927,103 for 2008, and as of Sept. 1, there were 83 children in custody of the county.

Commissioners expressed concern about how to pay for the additional expenses. Commissioner Matt Miller said after the meeting that line items used for emergency expenditures have been exhausted in recent years to help balance budgets and the need for additional money will create a "dire situation for us in the county general revenue fund."

"We are very concerned where that money will come from," Miller said after Thursday's meeting.

"The decision to support these children is not difficult," Commissioner Kim Edwards said, adding that finding the money to do so will require some extra work.

Children services was appropriated $640,000 from the general fund for 2008.

There are a variety of factors contributing to the increased burden, Hannan said, including state budget cuts and increased costs for children with special needs. Despite needing more money, Hannan said he is "optimistic" that revenue could rise and some of the children may leave the county's custody, alleviating some of the financial crunch.

"The Ashland County Department of Job and Family is required by law to attempt to find a solution for children in custody as soon as possible," Hannan said.

Tracee Anderson, assistant ACDJFS director, displayed pictures of some children receiving care from the county. She said the purpose of the pictures was to show the faces of the children receiving care and tell a little about them.

"These children deserve better, and it's our job to do it," Anderson said.