Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Prevention topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin County expands "YES Card" youth voucher program; court considers match funding
Summary
The Just Say Yes coalition reported a countywide expansion of the YES Card digital voucher to cover middle-school students (now roughly 2,500 youth served); county health director requested local matching funds and a $25,000 local contribution tied to an opioid-abatement challenge grant; fiscal court agreed to fund $25,000 from opioid-abatement resources.
Frankfort ' The county's prevention coalition updated the fiscal court on an expanded youth-voucher program that county leaders say helps keep middle-school students engaged in supervised activities.
Amelia Berry, director of the Just Say Yes Coalition at the Franklin County Health Department, told the court the YES Card program is a digital voucher that pays for supervised activities such as sports, arts, camps and outdoor programs. She said the coalition's pilot grew from 300 children to reach "almost 2,500 kids in Franklin County" across schools, private and home-school students; vendors accept the card at roughly 42 community providers.
Berry said the program currently operates at about $300 per middle-school student and that the coalition's funding mix includes federal grants and private dollars. She announced the program secured renewed opioid-abatement funding and a $50,000 grant from a health-plan foundation that carries a $25,000 local match requirement: "They have a challenge grant of $25,000 that will be awarded if the fiscal court and the city each contribute $25,000," she said.
Several court members asked whether opioid-abatement dollars could be used for the local match; Berry said yes and confirmed the coalition is prepared to sign reporting agreements required by opioid-fund guidelines. After a short discussion, the court reached consensus to budget $25,000 for the YES Card from opioid-abatement funds in the proposed 2025' 26 budget.
Why it matters: The county framed the YES Card not as direct casework but as prevention that reduces later public-health and social costs by increasing supervised participation in after-school and enrichment activities. The coalition said research and an annual youth survey show participation correlates with lower substance use and better mental-health indicators.
What comes next: The county will include the $25,000 opioid-funded contribution in the proposed budget and the coalition will provide reporting information required for opioid-abatement tracking.
