Ohio governor signs child wellbeing bill; supporters look ahead to budget for funds
A measure that aims to help improve child outcomes in Ohio has been signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine.
House Bill 7 touches on child wellbeing issues ranging from the Help Me Grow development program, youth mental health, tobacco reduction programs for parents, all the way to fatherhood programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
Child advocacy group Groundwork Ohio’s president and CEO Lynanne Gutierrez was present at the signing of H.B. 7, and called it a “milestone in our collective journey to ensure that every child in Ohio has the opportunity to thrive.”
“House Bill 7 represents critical steps forward for Ohio’s youngest children, including a transformative new approach to early childhood mental health diagnoses, prioritization of home visiting programs for families in greatest need and strengthened interagency collaboration to ensure timely and coordinated care for families,” Gutierrez wrote in a statement.
House Bill 7 has lots of goals, and sponsors and supporters hope funding for some of the changes that will be made under the bill will come with the biennial budget to be passed this year.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to working with Ohio’s policymakers during the upcoming budget cycle to prioritize policies and investments that tackle the alarming infant and maternal mortality crisis in Ohio,” according to Groundwork’s Gutierrez.
For now, the bill includes evaluations of programs under the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, the state Department of Medicaid, the Ohio Department of Health, and other agencies who conduct programs or oversight related to Ohio’s infants, youth, parents and guardians.
The law requires the ODCY to “enter into interagency agreements … to implement, coordinate and maximize federal reimbursement for the Help Me Grow Program,” and supplements the program’s existing intake and referral systm to ensure “consistent a comprehensive screening and connection program,” according to the Legislative Service Commission analysis.
State agencies may see increases in costs due to new standards reviews and updates in the ODM’s coverage of “evidence-based mental health” and other services, a fiscal analysis of House Bill 7 stated.
Susan Tebben is an award-winning journalist with a decade of experience covering Ohio news, including courts and crime, Appalachian social issues, government, education, diversity and culture. She has worked for The Newark Advocate, The Glasgow (KY) Daily Times, The Athens Messenger, and WOUB Public Media. She has also had work featured on National Public Radio.
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