$1M in taxpayer funds going toward child endangerment case

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(The Center Square) – An Ohio state board has approved $1 million in taxpayer emergency funding for child protection services in Vinton County, where 16 children were recently taken into custody in one day in what has been described as “an unprecedented child welfare crisis.”

Vinton County, with a population of 12,600 residents, is one of the poorest in the state, with the seventh lowest median income in Ohio.

Earlier this month, law enforcement agencies investigating allegations of domestic abuse executed search warrants at a local house and found 16 children inside. All 16 were removed from the house and taken to local hospitals for health evaluations. Some required medical treatment.

“Some were treated and released, while others were transported to elevated medical care and remain hospitalized in serious condition,” according to a news release.

Four people have been charged with endangering children, a felony, authorities said.

“The conditions these children lived in were horrific, and we are sickened by it,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said in a statement. “Fortunately, this tragic chapter has closed, but their recovery will take time. Our investigators will continue following the evidence wherever it leads.”

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth asked the Ohio Controlling Board approved an emergency $1 million appropriation to cover expenses related to the case.

The board approved the funding.

“This situation requires immediate state contingency funding to protect vulnerable children and address needs not covered under current budget planning,” the Department of Children and Youth said in its request.

Placing the children in new homes will cost an estimated $150-$250 per child per day, which could amount to a year’s cost of up to $850,000, the request said.