Dottie Meyer, director of Clermont County Job & Family Services, told commissioners on Jan. 12 that Children's Protective Services (CPS) faces rapidly rising placement costs and presented two levy options to address an anticipated budget shortfall.

Meyer said CPS investigated 1,469 maltreatment cases in 2024; of those, 76 children were removed through emergency procedures. She said that as of January 2025 there were 203 children in CPS custody and that the county regularly serves more than 400 children a month in in‑home arrangements. "Last year, Children's Protective Services saw another increase in the amount of cases that were investigated for maltreatment," Meyer said.

She said placement‑related costs rose about 88% from 2020 to 2025 — increasing from roughly $3.4 million to more than $6.5 million — and projected placement costs would exceed $7 million for 2026. Meyer said those costs are driven by statewide placement pressures rather than local programmatic changes and emphasized that many federal and state funding streams are restricted and cannot be repurposed to cover placement bills.

To respond, Meyer presented two options for the single levy dedicated to CPS: (1) renew the existing levy; or (2) renew and add 0.20 mills — about $7 per $100,000 in appraised value annually — which would increase the annual cost to about $23.26 per $100,000. She stressed the agency's legal mandate to accept custody and pay placement invoices when ordered by the court and said a placement funding deficit would force the department to seek general‑fund support or run an additional levy.

Meyer also described the department's fraud and oversight measures: provider licensing and state audits, local visits to placed children to verify services, a local fraud reporting line and a separate public‑assistance investigative unit that pursues recoupments for SNAP and TANF when appropriate.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions; the board did not vote on placing a levy during the Jan. 12 session. Meyer said staff would provide additional financial detail as the county considers options ahead of the May election.