Scioto County Commissioners stressed the importance of finding permanent homes for children in the care of Scioto County Children Services. The Commissioners approved $2 million in additional funding to help the struggling agency.
As part of their appeal for more funding, the agency submitted a cost-cutting plan that included increased adoptions of children. Each child in CPS custody costs the agency between $10,000 and $20,000 per year.
Scioto County Commissioners Chairman Scottie Powell said his primary concern was whether the suggestions in the cost-cutting plan were attainable and achievable. Powell cited following the “12 out of 22 months” rule. Under that standard, if a child has been in CPS custody for 12 out of 22 months, the agency can then look for permanent placement. “If we can get a hundred of them adopted, we could save a little over a million a year.”
15 Adoptions in 18 Months
Scioto County Children Services Director Jason Mantell said there had only been 14 or 15 adoptions in the past 18 months. He said the pandemic has slowed the pace of adoptions.
“If we’re saying 100, how do we get there?” Powell asked Mantell.
Mantell admitted that the goal of 100 was not easily attainable in a year or even two. Though he held out hope that an upcoming agreement with the Dave Thomas Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Foundation could help speed up the process by using an outside agency. The foundation, named in honor of the founder of the fast-food chain, promotes adoption.
Commissioner Bryan Davis said, “If we do the math, that’s seven years to reach a hundred. We don’t have that kind of time. You can’t read the hearts of individuals about adopting. If the people in our community don’t step up and do that, we’re not going to see that.” Davis pointed out that the county has struggled to find foster parents despite appeals for years. “Two years ago we had 26 now we are sitting at 24.” Davis noted that another part of the cost-saving plan was to increase local foster parents. “That’s very hard.”
Another goal of the cost-saving plan is to double the number of foster families to 50, which could provide a savings of $1 million if each home housed two children.
Commissioner Davis called out Ohio’s policy of paying kinship providers less for foster care than other foster families. “That has to end. That has to be fixed. It’s not your fault, but we have a lot of grandparents on fixed incomes handling children.”