County awards $27,200 in opioid-settlement funds to Change House to plan mothers-and-children treatment facility

Valley County commissioners approved a $27,200 allocation Oct. 22 from the county’s opioid-settlement funds to the Change House, a nonprofit seeking to develop an inpatient substance-use treatment program that allows mothers to stay with their children during care.

A Change House representative presented the request to the board, saying the proposal "meets J3 under Exhibit A of the approved opioid abatement strategies" and asking the board to fund planning and launch activities. The presenter described the Change House goal as filling a statewide gap: "There are currently no inpatient treatment facilities in the state of Idaho that allow mothers to receive care while being in close proximity to their children," she said.

The presenter cited national and state statistics about children entering foster care due to parental substance abuse and summarized local court and probation data: court records showed recent local drug-related filing counts and Valley County court services reported that 35% of females under supervision fit the population the Change House would serve; a Valley County felony probation officer, Dan Meddy, provided a separate caseload figure of 67% of females on his caseload fitting that profile (as reported by the Change House presenter).

The Change House representative outlined planned services the facility would provide, including inpatient substance-use treatment, mental health counseling, parent education, family therapy, life-skills and job-readiness supports. She said the organization will prioritize Valley and Adams County applicants but intend the facility to serve the full state of Idaho. The presenter also described planned funding pathways for facility construction, including a USDA Rural Development community facilities program, and said the Change House had obtained letters of support from community partners, including VCOR and local health providers.

Commissioners asked about the county’s current opioid-settlement fund balance; the county clerk reported a balance of $58,323.82 on hand. Staff also noted uncertainty about future settlement amounts but said additional distributions are expected; rough estimates discussed during the meeting projected around $30,000 per year in the first round and possibly about $80,000 per year from subsequent settlements, but staff labeled those as approximate.

A commissioner moved to approve the Change House request for $27,200; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The board asked the Change House to submit an invoice to the clerk’s office and requested quarterly reports on organizational development, program challenges and early outcomes. Commissioners described the award as a one-time planning contribution that could inform future funding if the program demonstrates effectiveness.