This November, Hamilton County voters will decide whether to renew and modestly increase the Children’s Services Tax Levy, Issue 10.
What many people do not realize is that if the levy does not pass in November, we are not simply talking about losing the proposed increase. We are talking about losing all dedicated levy funding for Children’s Services.
The levy has been in place since 1981 and has provided critical resources that have kept children in our community safe and families together. If Issue 10 fails, programs that help prevent child abuse and neglect, support kinship caregivers, connect children to health care and mental health services, and help families reunify safely would be at risk. The child welfare system would be left struggling
to meet its most basic legal obligations, and children in Hamilton County would pay the price.
As a pediatrician, I have seen how early support and intervention can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Without these services, more children may experience maltreatment, more families may be separated unnecessarily, and more young people will reach adulthood with unmet medical, mental health, and behavioral health needs. Those consequences extend far beyond the child welfare system. When children and families do not receive the support they need, schools, health care systems, and communities feel the impact as well. Investing in children and families through Issue 10 will cost far less than addressing the consequences of unmet needs later.
At the Cincinnati Children’s CHECK Foster Care Center, a partnership with Hamilton County Children’s Services supported by the Children’s Services levy, every child entering foster or kinship care in Hamilton County receives comprehensive, multidisciplinary health care.
Recently, I cared for a young child who had entered the custody of Hamilton County Job and Family Services and was living with an aunt. This type of arrangement, known as kinship care, allows children to remain with family when they cannot safely remain at home.
The child was missing important medications. The aunt was struggling to manage the child's health and behavior, while the mother worried about what would happen if the child suddenly became ill.
Together, we made a plan. We provided medication refills and copies of the treatment plans. As the visit progressed, the mother and aunt began talking to one another, sharing ideas about how to better support the child.
By the end of the appointment, we had a plan for the child's healthcare, and the child was proudly showing a coloring page to both women, receiving smiles and praise from each of them.
These are my favorite types of visits.
I have been practicing foster care health for nearly 15 years. During that time, I have seen firsthand that children entering foster care have complex needs. They often need help managing chronic medical conditions, catching up developmentally and academically, addressing behavioral challenges, and accessing mental health support. Families are facing increasing challenges as well, including mental illness, substance use disorders, and economic hardship.
To meet the needs of children and families, Hamilton County Job and Family Services has used the Children’s Services levy to invest in programs and community partnerships that help keep families safely together whenever possible and provide critical support when children do need foster or kinship care. Many of these programs have become models for other communities across Ohio and the nation. The modest increase requested through Issue 10 reflects the growing needs of children and families and the rising cost of providing these services. Last year alone, more than 13,000 Hamilton County children relied on these services.
For 45 years, Hamilton County has invested in protecting children and strengthening families.
We cannot afford to undo that progress.
When you cast your ballot on Nov. 3, please vote “Yes” on Issue 10 for our kids.
Dr. Mary V. Greiner serves as the Director of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children and the Medical Director of the CHECK Foster Care Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. This levy is also endorsed by the following local pediatric doctors and nurse practitioners: Dr. Kristin Dinkelaker, MD; Dr. Rachel Lieberman, MD; Dr. Paul Bunch, MD; Dr. Thomas Holubeck, MD; Dr. Rima Rusnak, MD; Dr. Chris Peltier, MD; Dr. Mona Mansour, MD, MS; Erin Sayer, NP; Michelle Gorecky MD, MPH; Taylor Marshall, NP; and Dr. Phil Lichtenstein, MD.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: I'm a pediatrician. Here's what's at stake with Children's Services levy | Opinion
