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New levy desired to fund foster care program

LISBON — A new levy is being sought to fund Columbiana County’s foster care program, a decision attributed to the county’s drug abuse problem.

County Department of Job and Family Services Director Eileen Dray-Bardon was given permission this past week by county commissioners to begin the process for placing a 0.75-mill foster care levy on the November general election ballot. This is a two-step process that starts with asking the county auditor’s office to determine how much in property taxes such a levy would generate.

Once that occurs, she will return to commissioners asking them to place the levy on the ballot.

Dray-Bardon said the existing 0.75-mill Children Services levy is used exclusively to fund the foster care program and it generates about $1 million annually. She said that is no longer enough, given the 40 percent increase in the number of youths placed in foster care between 2014 and 2017.

“I’ve been watching, thinking it would level off, but it hasn’t,” she said.

Dray-Bardon reported in April the number of children in foster care rose from 68 per month in 2014 to 95 per month last year, although it has dropped back to 77 in more recent months because they were able to place more of the youths with relatives.

The number of foster care placements forced the JFS to dip into its cash reserves, as foster care costs increased by more than $1 million between 2015 and 2017, reaching a record $3 million. A new levy at the same level, which would allow property taxes to be collected based on current valuation, would generate more money for foster care.

“We are in a crisis for resources needed to care for these kids,” Dray-Bardon said.

The county’s seemingly ever growing drug problem is largely the driving force behind the increase, as more children are removed from their drug-addled parents and placed with foster parents. “I can’t put it all on opioids. Substance abuse, yes, but opioids seem to have leveled off,” Dray-Bardon said, adding the chief culprit now is methamphetamine.

“But the bottom line is substance abuse, and it’s leaving these families broken,” she said.

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