First lady visits Marietta to build relationships, help kids
By Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.comArticle Photos
Fact Box
Washington County at a glance:
Median household income 2004: $36,297.
Persons below poverty level (2004): 12.2 percent.
Number of households: 25,137.
Persons per household: 2.45.
Housing units (2006): 28,027.
Home ownership rate: 7.63 percent
Median gross rent: $400.
Median monthly homeowner cost: $747.
Median value of owner-occupied home: $80,400.
Source: Ohio Department of Development Office of Strategic Research, U.S. Census Bureau 2007.
Breakout1
About Washington County Family and Children First Council
Goal: Promote coordination and collaboration among county and local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools and families in a manner which fosters wellness and self-sufficiency.
Members: Washington County Commission, county Board of Developmental Disabilities, Children Services, Washington County Juvenile Court, Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Board, Marietta City Schools, Early Intervention Collaborative, City of Marietta, Warren Local Schools, Washington/Morgan Community Action Program, Community Action Head Start, Marietta and Washington County health departments, Department of Youth Services, parent and community representatives, Ohio Family & Children First.
Source: Washington County Family and Children First Council.
Ohio first lady Frances Strickland came to Marietta Thursday, her ears tuned to the needs of children in Washington County and her heart set on making their future brighter.
Strickland, an educational psychologist, met more than two hours with 26 members of the Washington County Family and Children First Council at the Ohio State University Extension office on Davis Avenue.
She listened to presentations from each service agency and heard concerns and successes.
"We feel a sense of urgency," Strickland said shortly after the meeting. "Society is more complex today. We need to pull together to help each other."
Strickland is on a mission to visit each of Ohio's 88 counties before the end of July to learn about the needs of children in each region. She's already visited 77 counties.
When all visits are complete, there will be written evaluations, then a second visit scheduled to touch base again and look at more specific goals.
The meetings establish relationships that will be revisited in her second round of visits.
"We really do need to establish better relationships with the councils to work through these tough times now," Strickland told the group. "The theme that we are hearing through each of the 77 counties we've visited is that they all worry about a shortfall in providing services."
Washington County Family and Children First Council is a collaboration of county and local governments, nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses and families.
One message Strickland is taking back to Columbus is that local agencies serving children and families are facing hard economic times. Funds are shrinking and needs growing.
"Ted's (Gov. Ted Strickland) goal is to deal with the current budget crunch without affecting direct services," she said. "We have got to figure out some new resources. Councils need to collaborate and make dollars go as far as possible."
The administration, she said, is looking at more creative and innovative ways of doing the business of government. A closer relationship with Family and Children First councils in each county is one way to begin, she said.
"What we need to do now is change and do things in different ways and get better," she said.
Allen Brokaw, community representative of Marietta, told Strickland a skilled workforce is needed now in Washington County and will be even more important in future years.
"A lot of our kids are leaving the area when there are a lot of good jobs right here," Brokaw said. "When we asked high school students, 75 percent indicated they would go to college after graduation, but the reality isn't there."
"People are crying for skilled labor, but we need to deal with the stigma that everybody should attend college," Strickland said. "Skilled labor today requires really smart people with skills."
Dave Copen, executive director of Washington County Children Services, expressed his concern about funding for children and youth in need of placement services.
"We are out of money," he said. "We are falling seriously short and we are in trouble."
Copen, with the agency 30 years, appealed for some kind of help, perhaps from county programs that have excess funds. There is no funding for the fourth quarter, he said.
"We are the only mandated agency that provides mandated services, but don't get the dollars to do it," he said. "Why do I have to compete for prevention dollars when I am the only mandated service?"
The issue is placement costs for the children.
"Some of these kids simply can't go home," Copen said.
Strickland said one of the reasons for her visit is because of issues like this one. She is looking for innovation, creativity and suggestions for help.
"We recognize the bind these agencies are in," she said. "Ted, as a psychologist, recognizes what people are into. Now he is in the spot of making dollars work. We've got to figure out how to get new sources and new interests."
Washington County Commissioner Larry Steinel spoke of concerns that every year as income to the county decreases, the state mandates more services to the public. It's a squeeze felt throughout all county agencies, he said.
One suggestion is looking at a state tax on Internet sales.
"Not collecting this is hurting programs we fund to take care of those who are less fortunate," he said.
Strickland said this is something to look at.
"Nobody wants to pay taxes," she said. "I call it bad math. We want a lot and don't want to pay for it."
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MrWilson
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06-30-08 9:35 AM
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Don't let ladynoogs fool you all. Anyone can 'cut-n-paste' from other websites. She didn't do these calculations on her own. We are so impressed.
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ladynoogs
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06-28-08 12:09 AM
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its called taxes tattttms.. you know.. they tax people so we can have public schools, roads, lawmakers, take care of the people who cant take care of themselves (i.e kids in foster care), protect and defend our communties from criminals, put out fires..... everyone has to "pitch" in to run our society.... otherwise NOTHING would get done
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tattttms
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06-27-08 11:18 PM
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You still failed to answer the question. What gives you or anyone else the right to confiscate money from one group of people and give it to another?
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 7:48 PM
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oops i missed a number in my calculations: 386460 x 365 = 141,057,900 a year just on foster care per diems on thats NOT extreme special needs and thats ONLY traditional care, not theraputic or group homes expenses
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 7:45 PM
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so ttttms you think we should just let these kids starve to death on the streets or die or become seriously ill (physically or mentally) just because you dont want to pay taxes? wanna talk math? how's this for math: according to CLASP in ohio in 2006 there were: 19,323 children in foster care for an average of 24 months per child. so we'll do the math: daily 20 per child x's 19,323 = 384640 A DAY spent on kids in traditional foster care. 38640 x 365 = 140,393,600 a year just on foster care per diems on thats NOT extreme special needs and thats ONLY traditional care, not theraputic or group homes expenses. For 2004 (again CLASP child welfare in ohio report) expendiater amounts are as follows: 402,942,509 federal + 121,632,848 state + 407,322,054 local = 931,897,411 total expenditures on children. Now tell me $690 million is a lot of money when it comes to dividing it up? i.e foster care, healthy family programs and schools are all fighting for that money.
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tattttms
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06-27-08 6:04 PM
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Ladynoogs, you seem to be a great apologist for Gov Strickland AND this horrible, monstrous social system we have created. If you don't think 690 million is much, that is probably because of your public school math education. And finally, since you brought up the subject of "rights", what gives you, or anyone else the right to confiscate money from one group of people and give it to another.
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Harleyrider
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06-27-08 4:35 PM
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ladynoogs, any person that behaves in this manner should forego their rights. It is not our job to shell out taxpayer money to support their poor choices in life. You want to be addicted to drugs and not take any kind of birth control,(that welfare will provide) I say screw you. You are too irresponsible to be treated as an adult.
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 4:20 PM
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how about we do what we can withen the law and NOT violate basic human rights to reproduce. Yeah innocent children get hurt.. believe me i see it first hand... and yeah they are a "burdon" on the taxpayers wallets.. but no matter what society we live in we will have the so-called "worhless skanks" who just dont do what's logical or what should be done. If we take away a drug addicts right to have kids then what next? mentally ill people? then people with genitic diseases (i.e sickle cell) and then only people the goverment think can reproduce will be allowed to have that right to reproduce... thats what Hitler wanted remember?
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Harleyrider
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06-27-08 4:16 PM
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ladynoogs, whose rights would you rather violate, the innocent children being born to people like this and the taxpayers at large, or some worthless skank?
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 4:13 PM
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Harleyrider.. you've got to be kidding me? I'm sure that in your frame of mind it'd be a good thing (and i've honestly had that thought that from time to time)... but that would be violating basic human rights and we'd be no better than the taliban and nazi's if we did that to people. Mr. Copans and WCCS staff hands are tied really tight when it comes to parents rights. Maybe we need to pump some of that money into teaching grownups sex education.. not that they'd listen.
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 4:09 PM
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Mr. Wilson... i'd like to know where that lottery money goes.. but as far as it being 690 million dollars a year... on the grand scheme of things.. i don't thing thats much.
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 4:08 PM
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amen mttaOpin.... i hear yea... people are all about "family values' until it affects thier wallets.
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 4:07 PM
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Mr. Wilson Gov Strickland hasn't even been in office a year yet... from what i understand it takes FOREVER to get something like the way schools are funded changed.. and he only wants to have to change it once. Give him time, he'll get it done... there are many other things that need done. WE see nothing b/c there hasn't been enough time to change it yet. Till then they have to work with what they've got.
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ladynoogs
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06-27-08 4:04 PM
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lynn2550 the kids are the MOST important part of this society they are the future. What do you think they should do? leave kids in abusive neglectful and unsafe homes? Let them stay where they may end up DEAD or hospitalized? Leave them on the streets to fend for themsleves like the old days? Treat them the way china treats their "orphans"? Someone has to care for these kids, and those someones need a money to help to care for them the way they need cared for! WCCS does the best they can with thier limited resources and limited foster families. They send the kids home or with relatives whenever they can. they get permancy and adopt out kids whom can't go home. The rest are left in legal limbo and cant go home but thier parents rights cant be terminated, those are the ones in the most need of help. They need medical care, most need therapy of some sort, their basic needs are met by the foster family, they need clothing, education these MUST mandated and paid for!
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Harleyrider
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06-27-08 4:00 PM
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Just a thought for Copen. How about he ask the state to steralize the parents of children that have been taken away. I know of one woman in the washington county area that had a drug addicted baby that the state took. Within 1 year she had another that was taken by the state. How many times will people like this be allowed to reproduce?
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MrWilson
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06-27-08 1:56 PM
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Quote from the 1st Lady: "Ted's (Gov. Ted Strickland) goal is to deal with the current budget crunch without affecting direct services," she said. "We have got to figure out some new resources. Councils need to collaborate and make dollars go as far as possible." What budget crunch? The Ohio Lottery pumped $690 million dollars into the state's school budget last year...this is on top of the already established budget, so how can we have a budget crunch going on with that much money being added? Politicians...ugh!
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MttaOpin
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06-27-08 1:25 PM
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Mandating what crap?... state services to help children and build strong families? Seems everyone's always tooting about "family values" this and that, but then they're unwilling to chip in.
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MrWilson
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06-27-08 1:22 PM
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Did anyone ask her where all the money for the school systems was being kept? Her husband promised so much for our schools and yet we see nothing.
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lynn45750
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06-27-08 9:28 AM
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I have an idea - let's have the state stop mandating all this crap!
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