COLUMBIANA COUNTY Child-care levy renewal goes on ballot

The county has a growing number of children in need.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County commissioners have placed a renewal of a levy that helps disadvantaged children on the November ballot.
The 0.75-mill levy would be collected for five years starting in 2005. The current levy expires next year.
The levy raises about $975,000 a year, said Eileen Dray-Bardon, the director of Columbiana County Job and Family Services.
The tax revenue pays for either part or all of the care of children, said Dray-Bardon.
The federal government pays 59 percent of the cost of care for youths whose family income falls under certain levels. The remaining 41 percent is the local obligation.
If the family's income is higher, the county must pay for 100 percent of the cost of care, Dray-Bardon said.
The levy also helps pay for housing troubled girls at the Kyes Group Home in East Palestine.
Special services
Levy funds also help pay for some youths who need special treatment. Dray-Bardon said there may be only a few facilities in the state that provide the needed services that can cost $275 a day. The county remains responsible for helping to pay for care.
Dray-Bardon said the levy is needed "not because the cost of care is going up, but the number of kids is growing."
In June 1997, her department had 51 children in its care. This past June, that number had risen to 101.
Many of the cases are tied to alcoholism and serious mental health issues, Dray-Bardon.
Comprehensive figures will be compiled on the number of children who are being helped by the levy. Dray-Bardon said those numbers will be presented to the public before the Nov. 2 general election.
wilkinson@vindy.com