When rural Vinton County took custody of 16 high-needs children, the cost of specialized foster care could have bankrupted the county.
Two bipartisan state representatives are now calling for a new system to cap how much foster care homes can charge for standard care as well as therapeutic care.
"It's amazing how this adds up," said State Rep. Justin Pizzulli, R-Franklin Furnace, who is co-sponsoring House Bill 984. "I'd like to see a standard set across the board evenly."
Pizzulli said Scioto County pays about $120 to $150 a day for standard care and $800 to $1,000 a day for specialized care. For one child with complex needs, the county has been paying $1,500 a day for years, he said. In some cases, Pizzulli said, counties face price gouging.
The case in Vinton County may help draw attention to the need for foster care caps as well as price transparency, he said.
In the case of 16 children rescuedfrom a rental house in Hamden on June 30, costs were expected to run about $250 a day because each required specialized care, according to state officials. The state approved $1 million in emergency funds for their care.
Four adults have pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts of child endangerment: Gary L. Siders Sr., 73; Gary L. Siders Jr., 36; Christina Siders, 67; and Elizabeth Siders, 33
In 2025, child protection agencies investigated nearly 78,000 abuse and neglect reports and had 14,261 children in custody. Ohio spent $1.66 billion on child protective services last year, up 77% over a decade ago.
The system is funded through federal, state and local sources. Fifty-three of Ohio's 88 counties have tax levies for human services.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: After Vinton County child abuse case, Ohio eyes foster care caps
