COLUMBUS, Ohio – An innovative program that helps heal Ohio families torn apart by addiction is expanding once again.

The Public Children Services Association of Ohio oversees the Ohio START program; START stands for "Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma."

It was launched in 2017 to tackle the rising number of kids in need of foster care. According to Program Director Fawn Gadel, the program focuses on both the parents' and child's trauma.

"We take a holistic approach to treating the family for the issues that have come to arise because of the parents substance use disorder, which really is a game-changer," Gadel said.

Family Peer Mentors make up a key aspect of the program, as people who have personal experience with addiction and children's services, and are now in long-term recovery.

As a Family Peer Mentor in Pickaway County, Sarah Rapp knows that she offers a unique perspective on how addiction drives behaviors and decisions.

"It doesn't mean that they don't love their kids, it doesn't mean that they don't want to change," Rapp said, "but how to do it, and how not to judge them so hard to where they just want to give up."

Ohio START is expanding to 14 more counties, bringing the number to 46. State leaders expect to expand the program to a total of 62 counties in the next two years.

As state attorney general, Gov. Mike Dewine helped bring the program to Ohio, and continues to support and fund its expansion.

Gadel said getting parents into treatment quickly is the first step on the road to recovery.

"We strike while the iron's hot, giving the parent the most amount of time that they can have to get those recovery services underway," she explained, "and continuing on until they are healthy, and a safe option for those kids, is really making a difference."

Rapp added that she's looking forward to mentoring more people as her first client graduates from the program.

"It just means a lot when you can help somebody make a total change in their lives," Rapp said. "She has her kid back, she has a job, she's getting housing. She's really doing good."

Ohio START has served nearly 900 adults and 390 children since 2017. The program receives a national award today (Wednesday) from the Addiction Policy Forum at a ceremony at the Statehouse.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansans ages 16 to 26 who are or have been in the foster-care system now are eligible for one-time payments of at least $750.

They can use the money for basic needs, from rent and utility bills to transportation, groceries and more. The funds come from the federal "Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act."

State officials have estimated that roughly 4,000 young people are eligible, and Amy Webb, chief of community and community engagement at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, urged anyone who qualifies to apply by Aug. 31 at ar.gov/fostercarepayments.

"We know it's been a difficult situation for everyone, but these teens and young adults are particularly vulnerable," she said, "and so this money is really designed to go directly to them, to help them as they make it through the months ahead."

During the pandemic, a national survey of youths who had experienced foster care found 43% were forced to move during the COVID crisis. One in five said they were entirely on their own, lacking family or caseworker support.

Webb said once a young person from foster care applies, the Division of Children and Family Services will verify his or her eligibility and payments will be issued by Sept. 30 to the address supplied on the application.

"Transitioning out of foster care is difficult in the best-case scenario," she said. "It's difficult to experience that trauma of leaving your family, and maybe going back to your family, or aging out of the system without the support of a family."

Webb added that many young people who age out of care don't stay connected with the Division of Children and Family Services, so she said it's crucial to raise awareness that these payments are available. She urged anyone who knows someone who fits the criteria to let them know so they can apply.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Community partnerships in Missouri are working to help young people, either in or aging out of foster care, connect with resources they need to start their independent lives, and the pandemic has brought added financial hardship for many.

DeWayne Bright, Sr., youth advocate for the Local Investment Commission (LINC) in Kansas City, works with the local Chafee Independent Living Initiative. It links young people with life and work skills and job placements, and helps them pay for things like transportation and work attire.

Bright said the pandemic has had a major impact on many of the kids he works with.

"They were working in situations where their hours were cut," Bright explained. "Many of them already had unstable housing situations. It really hit our kids terribly. And so, we're just trying to help them really find some stability."

He added LINC and Chafee Services also help young people access state and federal funds that are available to them, such as helping them fill out financial aid forms, or education and training voucher applications to pay for college.

Robyn Wolfe, director of youth development for the Community Partnership in Rolla, said a big part of the Chafee Independent Living Program is being a voice to help youths advocate for themselves. She added their individual needs may be very different.

"For one, it may be the things related to employment and housing, and aging out," Wolfe noted. "And then for another, it may be soft skills, like I need to learn how to make better decisions and how to control my anger. Then you might have the ones that are very tangible: I want to learn how to do laundry; I want to learn how to cook a healthy meal."

The partnerships also support foster families.

Tom Dugger, executive director of Families and Communities Together in Hannibal, said their donation programs for foster families have items ranging from household goods, clothing and school supplies, to cribs, mattresses and car seats.

"We have a car seat tech, and the car seat tech can make sure that the seat is installed properly in their car," Dugger emphasized. "If they have an old seat, we can do a check on it."

Families and Communities Together, as well as LINC and the Community Partnership in Rolla, are affiliated with the Missouri Family and Community Trust and Missouri KIDS COUNT. All are working to improve outcomes for kids and families in the state.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Children's services leaders in Ohio are reiterating calls for more funding to local agencies.

Specifically, they're asking the Senate Finance Committee for $50 million per year in general revenue funds in the biennium budget to support counties facing additional costs associated with new state and federal system transformation mandates.

Jody Walker, director of the South Central Ohio Job and Family Services, explained the historic investments made in the last biennium budget were crucial to addressing the influx of children in care.

"It's allowed us to continue to meet the needs of the families," said Walker. "But if we want to continue going down that road with making changes to our system, we need continued investment."

Placement costs increased by 9% from 2018 to 2020.

At Coshocton County Job and Family Services, Executive Director Danny Brenneman said two cases account for nearly 40% of their local levy dollars.

"We really are doing what we can with the local resources that we have," said Brenneman. "But the bottom line is, we need help."

Brenneman said the proposed children's services funding focuses squarely on states' cost of new policy changes.

Ohio's new Kinship Support Program is estimated to cost counties more than $23 million per year and the local match needed for the federal Family First Act could range from $18 to $25 million in the first fiscal year.

Between the opioid crisis, severe mental health issues, lack of foster homes, and other challenges, Walker said with the needs of children and families are overwhelming.

"We're talking about probably one of the most vulnerable populations," said Walker. "The kids that the agency served that have been abused and neglected, and especially with the needs on the residential side, multi-system sides. And then with the kinship support."

Brenneman cautioned that without additional investments, state and federal child welfare transformation mandates will impede their ability to respond to families in crisis.

"Our goal in child welfare is to ensure safe, happy, healthy families and children," said Brenneman. "And we really need to help the assistance of the state Legislature and the governor's office to make that a reality."