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Ohio Dems restore money for abused children

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By Laura A. Bischoff, Staff Writer Updated 8:28 AM Tuesday, April 28, 2009

COLUMBUS — House Democrats put $50 million into the state budget after advocates for abused children made a strong case that cutting funding for child welfare investigators could lead to tragedy.

Allegations of child abuse and neglect hit a record 106,538 in 2007, yet the Strickland administration proposed cutting funding for counties to pay for child and adult protective services. The governor’s budget set aside $12 million, down from $62 million a year. House Democrats boosted it to $50 million.

“We’ve come a long way, baby,” said Gayle Channing Tenenbaum, a lobbyist with the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. “It helps us avert massive layoffs and keep the people protecting vulnerable children and adults.”

The Ohio House is expected to approve the budget bill on Wednesday and send it to the Senate for consideration. The proposed two-year, $53.9 billion budget must be approved by June 30.

On Monday night, Democrats were expected to adopt another 500 pages of changes to the bill including provisions that would:

• Require insurance companies cover services for the diagnosis and medical treatment of children with autism.

• Add 200 scholarship slots for National Guardsmen, bringing the total to 1,000.

• Prohibit school districts from charging academic fees to students on welfare.

• Create a new fee for filing for divorce and increase civil action filing fees by $5 and use the money to fund Legal Aid Societies, which provide legal assistance to the poor.

• Require vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis for all seventh graders

Contact this reporter at (614)224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDaily News.com.

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