Scioto County Children Services is, “Not perfect.” However, County Commissioner Bryan Davis is “cautiously optimistic” that the agency is making the needed progress.
The agency was hit by a storm of criticism after the murder of baby Dylan Groves. The trial of his parents made national headlines. Both the prosecution and defense pointed fingers at Children Services. The State of Ohio moved in to take over and reorganize the entire agency.
Skyrocketing Sex Abuse Cases
Scioto County Daily News has covered a number of serious incidents of child sexual abuse in the county within the past few months including:
- Michael Zornes’ arrest for child rape and child pornography
- Three women charged with raping children.
- FBI raids linked to child sex trafficking.
- A Wheelersburg man who tried to solicit sex with a child.
- The Sciotoville woman caught in bed with a 15-year-old boy.
Not to mention the fear that abuse is overlooked because kids haven’t been in school. We asked the Scioto County Commissioners if they thought the agency has recovered enough to effectively tackle the problem.
Davis said, “I will state what I’ve been told by board members and the interim director. We are better, but we haven’t arrived. We know that. We’re working hard to get there. There has been a major shift on the board, but there are more changes needed.”
Changes Made
The Commissioner said that he’s excited about recent changes. Among those.
- Outreach to schools
- Getting teachers and guidance counselors involved
- Improved tracking methods for complaints
Davis said there was still a long way to go. “Where are our weaknesses? How can we be more proactive? We’re not perfect yet. I don’t know if we’ll ever get there. sometimes situations are just impossible.”
COVID Fallout
Commissioner Davis says he’s fearful of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on abused and neglected kids. “We’re not seeing the kids face-to-face. COVID did more damage to our community that you can really put a price on.”
There’s also the potential that state budget cuts could hit Children Services hard. “They could lose what they just gained. We’ll have to watch that real close. It could affect caseworkers. I’d hate to see the progress being made go backwards. If they take a big cut, that’s gonna be real tough.”
However, he said he remains positive. “We’re cautiously optimistic. They are working hard. They’ve really done their best to turn that ship around.”