skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Ohio Advocates for Vulnerable Children, Adults in "Desperate" Situation

play audio
Play

Monday, May 19, 2014   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Those who work to protect Ohio's children and vulnerable seniors say their agencies are in a dire situation. The poor economy and the opiate epidemic in Ohio are among the problems putting strains on families.

Cassandra Holtzmann, director, Ashland County Job and Family Services, says there are not enough resources to keep children and older adults in all counties safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

"We are begging our governor, and we're begging the leadership in the state, to hear what it is that we're saying. We are in a desperate position at this point, and need help to take care of our vulnerable population, children and adults," Holtzmann says.

In April, HB 483 passed the Ohio House. The legislation includes a $10 million investment in Adult Protective Services and $10 million to improve outcomes for families in the child welfare system. The Senate began hearings on the bill last week, and Holtzmann is among those who testified. If passed, the Adult Protective Services allocation would be nearly four times more than the state has ever provided for that function - and the child welfare funds would be the first new state child welfare dollars in nine years.

Joel Potts, executive director, Ohio Job and Family Services Directors Assn., says both the child welfare and Adult Protective Services system are overwhelmed. In some counties, he notes, one social worker is responsible for up to 30 cases.

"We always say 'boots on the ground,' and there's no question about it. We need more workers, we need more social workers," Potts says. "We need more people who can be involved with these families to help them through this very difficult and challenging period in their lives."

Matthew Kurtz, director, Knox County Job and Family Services, says Ohio is currently ranked 50th in the nation for its lack of state support of a child welfare system, and he notes there are disparities in services throughout the state. He says only some counties are able to spend the national average on children's services.

"About $314 per child is spent on care," Kurtz says, "but in counties without a levy, it's only $108, and it really results in poorer outcomes for those children."

He and others say an additional $10 million is needed for child welfare, to help counties most in need arrange for housing, job training, counseling and other services for families of children at risk.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …


Organizations fighting wage theft said it harms affected workers and surrounding communities because the money withheld is not being circulated through the local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021