CINCINNATI — The staff at Beech Acres Parenting Center has stood ready to help parents in Cincinnati foster or adopt children for decades.
Whether they've been providing emergency supply packs, step-by-step guidance through the judicial process or parental training, staff members like Calena Durel said they're ready to help.
"I'm very passionate about it," Durel said.
Durel has a reason to care about the work she does. She has adopted two kids of her own in addition to being the licensing coordinator at Beech Acres.
She said she knows adoption can be hard and expensive for parents.
"Child care is a lot," Durel said. "The medical appointments for the kiddos are a lot, and then just the cost of living. It's a lot."
Everyone at the center Friday said cost remains a barrier for many prospective foster or adoptive parents in Ohio, and that's one of the reasons 400 kids in Hamilton County and roughly 3,000 kids statewide remain eligible for adoption while in the care of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODFJS).
"The demand is huge," said Beech Acres Compliance Coordinator Elizabeth Dissinger. "Today alone we saw seven referrals and we did not have homes that could accommodate those kids. So the demand is huge."
The team at Beech Acres celebrated a Friday announcement from Gov. Mike DeWine that a new state program gifting grants of up to $20,000 to parents upon finalization of adoption was active effective immediately.
ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder said the grant replaces a state tax credit of up to $10,000 where parents would have to get expenses refunded at tax filing.
He said the new system would make adoption more manageable.
"Instead of that family having to wait maybe a year or even more for a tax credit to be processed as part of their income taxes, this enables that family to have financial assistance closer to the time those expenses occurred," Damschroder said.
The grant program replaces the existing state adoption tax credit and offers three levels of one-time payments:
- $10,000 to anyone, except a stepparent, adopting a youth.
- $15,000 if the parent was a foster caregiver (including kinship caregivers) who cared for the child prior to adoption.
- A $20,000 grant to families that adopt a child with special needs, as determined by a qualified professional.
The non-profit foster and adoption agency NECCO weighed in on the new program as well.
In a statement, Chief Strategy Officer Pam Priddy said the grant could alleviate pressure on the foster care system by encouraging families to provide permanent homes for children in need.
Every child deserves a family and a permanent place to call home. This funding will be much needed support to foster families and encourage foster-to-adoption where it otherwise may have not been possible. Thanks to Gov. DeWine for signing the Executive Order. I am sure the positive impact will alleviate the fact that too many children are waiting for their forever home.
Durel said $20,000 won't cover the cost of everything associated with adoption, but in her eyes, it is always worth expanding your family.
"If you're even thinking about it, just call and find out what that looks like, just to see. You never know until you reach out for information."
Grant applications can be completed through the Jobs and Family Services web portal.
ODJFS officials said the grant can be claimed by parents who finalized an adoption from Jan. 1, 2023, onward, and 25 people had applied for the grant as of noon Friday.
The Ohio Legislature authorized $15,000,000 in state funds for the program in the 2023 fiscal year.
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