Supportive Health & Human Services Supportive Health & Human Services

At the core of the commissioners’ philosophy is an earnest effort to ensure that no one goes without essentials like food, clothing, shelter, and medical care, and that every Franklin County family has an opportunity to thrive. Health and Human Services encompass a wide range of services that are available throughout a resident’s lifetime and even before they are born.  From efforts to reduce infant mortality rates to supports that help senior citizens maintain their independence, the commissioners’ motto of EVERY RESIDENT EVERY DAY informs all of the services they provide. Health and Human Services are largely provided by Franklin County’s Department of Job and Family Services, the Office on Aging, and the Child Support Enforcement Agency.

American Rescue Plan

Thanks to American Rescue Plan funding provided in 2022, the county made some of the most significant investments in its history, including:

  • More than $22 million to assist families who fall off the “benefits cliff” – earning too much money for government assistance, yet not enough to afford basic needs such as childcare.
  • Investments in developing the county workforce to meet a growing demand for technology jobs, including Women in Tech.
  • More than $29 million for Affordable Housing and to prevent evictions.
  • Funding a new Stop Addiction for Everyone Resource (SAFER) Station in Franklinton as a first stop for residents in need of substance abuse treatment.
American Rescue Plan funding

2023 All Funds Expenditures ($2.02 Billion)

More than 40% of all the county’s expenditures support social and human services.
Franklin County RISE

Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services

The Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services (JFS) is the county’s primary social services safety net agency and is the largest agency overseen by the Board of Commissioners. JFS offers a continuum of support, from public assistance programs to a wide array of contracted services to uplift and empower residents from cradle through career.

Nearly a third of Franklin County’s 1.3 million residents interact with JFS each year, including:

450,000+


Medicaid recipients.

9,000+


Residents who receive Ohio Works First cash assistance.

163,000+


Residents who receive SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

24,000+


Children in Publicly Funded Child Care and another 450-plus receiving scholarships through Franklin County RISE.

1,200


Young people in paid summer employment through the Ready 2 Earn and Achieve More and Prosper programs.

2,600


Families receiving emergency rental assistance.

3,700+


Kids attending free after-school programs and summer camps.

Franklin County RISE

In 2022, the commissioners made a historic $23 million investment to strengthen the local early learning system. Nearly one-in-six of the childcare centers in Central Ohio that closed during the pandemic have yet to reopen, and when parents can find it, quality childcare can cost more than sending a student to college.


Franklin County RISE takes a whole-system approach, offering affordability scholarships to families and grants for both the teachers of young children and for childcare centers so they can improve the services offered to Franklin County children. In all, 500 students are expected to be eligible for the scholarships with last year’s funding, and as many as 750 providers will benefit.

Franklin County RISE

Franklin County Office on Aging

The Franklin County Office on Aging provides critical, and individualized services for older adults, dependent adults, and their families to help seniors preserve their independence. These services have been provided for 30 years thanks to the passage of the first Senior Services levy in November 1992, which voters must renew every five years. In November of 2022, voters showed their overwhelming appreciation for these services, passing the levy renewal with 78% of the vote.

Franklin County Office on Aging Overview:

11,769


Seniors were enrolled in Office on Aging programming.

65,995


Hours of personal and respite care were provided to seniors.

266


Caregivers were engaged through the Office on Aging.

56,839


Hours of housekeeping were provided to seniors.

2,186,167


Times residents were reached through the Office on Aging.

148


Kinship families were engaged through the Office on Aging.

329


Community events were attended by the Office on Aging.

1,281,135


Free meals were delivered to seniors at home.

1,227,141


Miles of transportation provided to seniors.

Home-delivered meals
Repairs
Aging Fair

In 2022, the Office on Aging provided more than 1.2 million free home-delivered meals for seniors and updated its Sliding Fee Scale, which allows free services for older residents who fall below 150% of the poverty line and have less than $7,500 in liquid assets.

The agency also helps seniors stay healthy and manage their everyday lives, including by providing fans during the heat of summer, home repair services, and vaccines for homebound residents and their families. Veterans are connected to the agency's emergency response systems at no cost through a partnership with the Veterans Service Commission, and the agency is piloting an Elder Abuse Prevention & Protection Forensic Center, which provides services and training, and protects some of our most vulnerable older residents from abuse.

The Office on Aging hosted its annual day for seniors with the Columbus Clippers last summer. Hundreds of local seniors were welcomed into Huntington Park with a discounted admission, received a boxed meal, and were given information about Aging's array of services.

Day for seniors with the Columbus Clippers

Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency

The Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency ensures that child support orders are followed so that children have the resources they need to thrive. Regular child support payments reduce child poverty, promote parental responsibility and involvement, and improve children’s educational outcomes. The agency uses innovative policies and programs to keep both parents engaged.

Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency

68,297


Open child support cases

78,814


Children supported

$147,101,563


2022 collections

Community Partnerships Grant Program

The Community Partnerships Grant Program provides competitive grants to local nonprofits and other agencies that serve Franklin County residents. In 2022, Community Partnerships offered nearly $20 million in grants to more than 110 agencies, including COSI, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, Future Ready Columbus, the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio, Girls on The Run, and Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services. This year, grant opportunities included:

Learning Lunchbox

The commissioners have supported COSI’s Learning Lunchbox program throughout the pandemic, providing Franklin County youth with educational resources in a lunchbox. The board’s funding was $500,000 in 2022, which provided 15,000 boxes on several themed projects, including:

  • Virgin Hyperloop
  • Her Royal Scientist
  • Snow
  • Energy

The Harvard Business School reviewed the Learning Lunchbox program and found that it increases science literacy among youth and helps parents with justice system interactions to reconnect with their children while being rehabilitated.

Learning Lunchbox< Learning Lunchbox<
Community Partnership

COVID-19 Recovery Grants: $2.7 million

More than 85 nonprofit organizations received grants of up to $50,000 as they were recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Equity Grants: $1.4 million

This grant that will provide more equitable access to healthcare and positive health outcomes for Franklin County residents.


Youth Activity Planning

Community Partnerships: $3.5 million

Community Partnership grants are awarded yearly to Franklin County community agencies that encourage economic development, further the community’s access to affordable healthcare, embrace racial equity, help to stabilize families and children in crisis and protect the environment.


Mid-Ohio Food Collective

Mid-Ohio Food Collective: $2.5 million

The commissioners' Community Partnerships team also provided $2.5 million to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective in 2022 to help address historic demand, serving 426,190 unduplicated individuals in Franklin County, enough food for 106,000 meals a day.

Tech Women of Color

Nationwide, Black women only comprise 3 percent of the technology workforce, while Latina women account for only 1 percent. Last year, the commissioners dedicated $4.5 million to a new program that trains women from underserved communities for new careers in the tech industry. The program provides 15 weeks of training and 200 women are expected to complete the course and move toward self-sufficiency. In its inaugural class, graduates earned CISCO IT Essentials and CISCO Networking certifications, and were helped to find paid internships and job placements.

Tech Women of Color