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Lorain County approves $701,000 in TANF summer-camp grants to serve 629 youth
Summary
Job and Family Services Director Chris Cabot told commissioners the county will use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support summer camps that serve 629 low‑income youth; the board approved multiple subgrants to local providers totaling $701,000 on the agenda.
The Lorain County Board of Commissioners on May 6 approved multiple subgrant agreements between Job and Family Services (JFS) and local providers to fund summer-camp slots for low‑income youth, using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.
JFS Director Chris Cabot told the board 629 youth are served by the campership program and that JFS received seven provider applications; six met program criteria and five were on the current agenda. "This money is all Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF federal funds," Cabot said. "We received $5,000,000 each year" in TANF for varied services, of which camperships are one component.
Contracts and amounts on the agenda: Big Brothers Big Sisters — $82,000 (summer camp); Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio — $150,000; El Centro de Servicios Sociales, Inc. — $175,000; Tower Educational Consulting Group, Inc. — $94,000; Horizon Education Centers (North Olmsted) — $200,000. Cabot said the five contracts on the agenda total $701,000; one additional vendor’s paperwork arrived late and will appear on a subsequent agenda.
Oversight and purpose: Cabot said the RFP included evaluation expectations and that county fiscal staff conduct on‑site monitoring to ensure contractors deliver promised services. He described program benefits including life‑skills building, structured days, meals for children who rely on school lunch, and local economic circulation of contract dollars. "It's really important that... a lot of all of this money that is being spent on these camps is gonna be circulated within our county," Cabot said.
Board action: Commissioners moved and seconded approval of the listed subgrant agreements; each motion carried. Commissioners asked about per‑child cost differences across providers and expressed interest in greater consistency across awards in future rounds.
Next steps: JFS will continue monitoring contracted providers and return with future recommendations on cost‑per‑child baselines and any adjustments to procurement or evaluation to stretch dollars and avoid duplicative enrollments.
