Lucas County Children Services has been selected to receive a $463,802 grant from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation.
OneOhio is the not-for-profit organization established to distribute Ohio’s share of nationwide opioid settlements with 10 major pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
The 34 grants announced Wednesday represent $4.9 million to support prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts statewide. The funds are part of more than $51 million allocated for the OneOhio's 2024 Regional Grant Cycle.
Funded programs were selected from 1,442 funding requests totaling $581 million from organizations statewide. Grantees were chosen in a collaborative process that included input from the OneOhio Regions, Expert Panel, Grant Oversight Committee and Board of Directors.
“Being selected for this grant is a major accomplishment for LCCS,” said Randall Muth, LCCS executive director. “The opiate crisis had a devastating effect on the children and families we serve, as well as on our staff. This honor validates the commitment we’ve made to keep children with their extended families, rather than in foster or congregate care.”
LCCS will use its grant award to expand its Family Search and Engagement program, including family-finding for youth placed in congregate care because of family disruption from opiate dependency, as well as for children and families engaged in the OhioStart program which works with substance use disorders.
Grants are being distributed to organizations, “for efforts that address prevention treatment and long-term recovery, criminal justice and public awareness activities that promote the overall health and well-being of Ohioans,” according to a memorandum of understanding signed by Mr. Muth and Alisha Nelson, executive director of the OneOhio Foundation.
In general, 15 percent of funds awarded will go to Ohio’s state government, 30 percent directly to local governments, and 55 percent to the OneOhio Recovery Foundation.
Much of LCCS’ family stabilization activity has been facilitated by the Area Office on Aging’s Kinship Navigator program which assists grandparents and others who are raising their grandchildren.
“This grant award will help the Kinship Navigator Program to stabilize the home environment and provide additional evidence-based programming to educate caregivers,” said Arcelia Armstrong, coordinator of the Caregiver Support and Kinship Navigator Programs. “It will also allow us the opportunity to provide a podcast that creates awareness in the community about support and resources available for kinship and grandfamilies.”
Grant funds will also be used to provide more robust coaching support for youth seeking lifelong connections because of the impact that opiate dependency has had on their families.
First Published December 5, 2024, 1:15 p.m.
