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Counties and child-welfare providers push Senate to fund regional crisis beds and review foster care rates
Summary
County commissioners, the Public Children's Services Association of Ohio and private foster-care providers urged the Senate to retain House funding in HB 96 for regional short-term crisis stabilization centers and to pursue transparent, data-driven placement rates for foster and residential care.
County commissioners, public children services agency leaders and private foster-care providers told the Senate Health Committee that Ohio faces a statewide placement crisis for children with complex behavioral needs and urged the Senate to maintain House funding and policy changes in HB 96.
Jack Everson, president of the Ross County Board of Commissioners, described steep cost increases for placements and said counties are bearing nearly three-quarters of placement costs. “Placement costs have increased all across the settings and now have out placed inflation,” he said, citing increases in foster homes (29%), group homes (64%) and residential treatment (54%) over recent years.
Angela Sasse, executive director of the Public Children's Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO), supported short-term regional crisis stabilization centers proposed in House Bill 96, referred to as Child Wellness Campuses. She said the campuses would allow children who would otherwise spend nights at county agencies to be stabilized while counties pursue appropriate placements. “We ask that the Senate maintain this proposed investment so that children will not have to sleep at their county agency, but instead in a safe setting that can deescalate and stabilize their behaviors,” Sasse told the committee.
Jeremy Ratcliffe, a county job and family services director, and other county witnesses asked for policy changes to create consistency and transparency in placement rates across providers and regions. Ratcliffe said rate variance has produced unpredictable costs and forced counties to accept very high per‑diem placement rates to avoid having children sleep in agency offices.
Private provider Buckeye Ranch’s Christina Massey urged caution about a one-size-fits-all foster care rate card in HB 96. She asked the committee to remove statutory rate‑card language and replace it with a legislatively led study committee to analyze provider cost reports and county cost drivers before adopting a statewide rate approach.
Speakers repeatedly asked the Senate to preserve the House’s funding and policy language that creates regional short-term crisis stabilization centers and advances more transparent placement rate methodologies. No formal vote or amendment was recorded during the hearing; counties and providers asked for Senate consideration in final budget negotiations.
