By Trista Bowser
Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

Due to the labor shortage in Ohio, many companies are employing teens who are looking to get into the workforce to keep their business going. An Ohio bill is being created to allow these teens to work later hours throughout the school year.

Mike Todd, 53, has been an owner of two Dairy Queens in Ohio for the past 24 years, one of which is located in Pickerington. Recently, he has noticed that many of the worker applicants are under 16 years of age.

"I'd say at least 60% to 65% of my employees are of high school age," Todd said.

Currently, 14 and 15-year-old workers are unable to work past 7 p.m. and can only work three hours in a day for only 18 hours in a week due to state and federal laws. In the summer when school isn't in session, teens are allowed to work until 9 p.m.

"Traditionally, most quick-service restaurants, and probably most sit-down restaurants as well, their peak hours are after 7 p.m.," Todd said. "The people who are under the age of 16, they provide a very vital role for us, to kind of fill in the gaps before the nighttime rush begins."

State Sen. Tim Schaffer proposed changing these rules in Senate Bill 251, which would allow minors to work with more flexibility.

Schaffer, 59, who represents the 20th District in the Ohio State Senate, heard about Todd's situation and immediately wanted to help find a solution.

Senator Schaffer was pulled aside by the executive director of the Pickerington Chamber of Commerce and asked if he had heard about Mike Todd's issue. "Everybody's hearing all about the struggle to get good workers in their businesses," said Schaffer. "That's not a secret. Everybody is struggling with that, but nobody has really said anything about expanding the hours that teenagers could work."

Senate Bill 251 would allow teens to work until 9 p.m. both in the summer and the school year, but it would still limit them to three hours per day on school days and 18 hours per week.

"I'd emphasize the guard rails that are already in the law that we're not changing, which is that they can't work more than three hours on a school day... and they can't work more than 18 hours a week during school session," Schaffer said.

Brandon Janis, 25, is one of the owners of Gino's Pizzeria in Medina.

At Gino's, around 50% of their employees are still in high school.

"We definitely try to target sophomores and juniors, that way they know they have a job all through high school and if they end up going to college, they can stay with us to deliver," said Janis.

But Janis said it can be difficult at times to schedule these students while meeting the needs of their education, extracurricular activities and the amount of hours that they are legally able to work.

"It's pretty hard to juggle when they can leave and what days they can actually work, because obviously everybody has different schedules. If they have some sports that they're playing, we have to work around that. It's definitely challenging," Janis said, though "I'm not saying it's impossible because we've been doing it for the last five years."

Eve Nevar, 18, a senior at Agape Christian Academy, works at a pizza shop and does some landscaping. It can be difficult to balance school, extracurricular activities, and work as she is busy with basketball along with taking college credit classes.

"It's kind of a struggle. I think it's beneficial because it helps me learn time management, but I also think it's kind of hard to keep up with sometimes. I have to figure out when I can work but [also] how can I get my paper written," Nevar said.

Nevar believes that S.B. 251 would be beneficial to high school students.

"I think it would definitely be helpful having more flexibility. I think that would help a lot," Nevar said "High schoolers want to work, but it's hard to be able to when you also want to do extracurriculars."

The Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee is currently reviewing the bill. It is co-sponsored by two Republicans, Schaffer and Steve Wilson, and two Democrats, Tina Maharath and Kenny Yuko.

The outcome of Ohio Senate Bill 251 might hinge on federal action, though. The federal government still limits the hours teenagers can work.

The Ohio Senate has requested the same changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act that Ohio Senate Bill 251 proposes. That measure is now on its way to the Ohio House of Representatives.

"Getting anything through Congress, no matter how noble the cause, always takes longer," explained Schaffer via email.

"The bottom line is, we want people who want to work, and the majority of applications that we have received at our business show us that these young people want to work, they want the job, and they want the experience of having their own money and having their own set of responsibilities," said Todd.

This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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Indiana leaders are working to improve children's lives, as the state's national ranking for child well-being has slipped.

The latest report showed Indiana has fallen from 24th to 27th among states for overall child well-being, with food insecurity emerging as a major concern.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, called results in the latest Indiana Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation "mixed," with nearly 20% of kids lacking consistent access to nutritious food, a figure worse than at the peak of the pandemic.

"We need to make sure we're leaning into some of our areas where we have the biggest challenges," Silverman urged. "We rank 32nd in the country for the health of our children, and that's physical and mental health. We're 15th in the country for economic well-being, but we're struggling as far as our kids' health."

Silverman emphasized addressing food insecurity requires focusing on basic needs like stable housing and reliable access to healthy meals. Neighboring states, including Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, face similar challenges.

Another challenge is only 40% of three- and four-year-olds attend early education programs, resulting in learning gaps in language arts, math and other subjects later in school, which worry educators and parents.

Silverman argued such hurdles threaten children's future and demand immediate attention. However, she acknowledged the report also highlighted some bright spots.

"Teen birth rates are down," Silverman noted. "The ratio of dentists and mental health providers that are available for kids have improved. Median family income is on the rise."

Youth advocates are calling on both community leaders and policymakers to address the state's gaps in education and health to build on the progress. Silverman stressed caring for Indiana's children is everyone's job. She urged leaders to do more to push for a healthier, safer future for every child.


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An Alabama Senate committee has approved a bill that would require middle-school students to take a course on conflict resolution before high school. Senate Bill 34, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, is designed to equip students with skills to de-escalate conflicts-particularly as social media fuels more disputes among young people. Smitherman says too many students turn to violence because they don't know how to handle disagreements.

"I've seen it get to point where folks have guns and do everything just because of that post. They don't have any kind of way of understanding how to deal with conflict resolution so the end result is to grab a gun to do something," he explained.

The bill originally applied to high school students, but after input from the state Department of Education, lawmakers amended it to focus on middle schoolers instead.

The legislation would require public schools to provide instruction in violence prevention, mediation and conflict resolution. The Education Department would be responsible for setting curriculum standards. Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, supports the measure, calling it a proactive step to address school violence at a critical stage.

"What we have found statistically is that in middle school is where we're having the majority of the problems emerging, particularly around seventh grade," he said.

Next week, the committee will hear from experts on social media and cell phone use as lawmakers consider another proposal: banning cell phones in schools and creating a social media safety course.


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Pennsylvania nonprofits are working with teens in foster care to ensure they have the resources they will need to navigate life once they are out of the system.

In Pennsylvania, about 15,000 children are in temporary foster care.

Joseph Birli, CEO of Bethany Children's Home, said they have a congregate care setting to assist those who have been traumatized. He pointed out teens may need emergency shelter if they're at risk for human trafficking. And the staff works with them as they age out of the system.

"Our 18- to 21-year-old population, we do a life skills training for them," Birli explained. "We offer them opportunities to learn about budgeting and caring for themselves so that, as they become citizens and do discharge out of service, that they're going to be somewhat prepared to live on their own."

About 20,000 young people exit foster care each year in the U.S., according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In Pennsylvania, Birli said 18-year-olds can leave the foster care system but can return if needed until age 21 by contacting their county. He added many do return, after realizing life is tougher than expected.

Kerry Krieger, executive director of Delta Family Services, said they support foster youth through age 21 with a supervised independent living program. Young people live in their own apartments, with the agency covering rent, utilities and stipends. A life skills coach checks in weekly to offer guidance and support, filling the gap when family is not there.

"We use an evidence-based life skills curriculum, so they have to be doing the rules -- not only of the program, but of staying in dependent care -- is that they have to be going to school and/or have a job."

Krieger emphasized the goal is for a young person to leave care with a supportive, unpaid adult connection, but also with some education and job skills, stable housing and access to health care. She added in Pennsylvania, a person 16 or older with a history of foster care can get a tuition waiver they can use at many state or community colleges.


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