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 and maternal mortality rates, to support that help senior citizens maintain their independence so that they can “age in place”, the commissioners’ credo of EVERY RESIDENT EVERY DAY informs the way that they provide all of their services for residents. 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. More than 40% of all county expenditures support social, health, and human services for our residents.

Agency Partner: Franklin County Office on Aging

The Franklin County Office on Aging serves as a vital hub for enhancing the well-being of our older residents, dependent adults, and their families and caregivers. At the forefront of these initiatives is the levy-funded Senior Options program, a flagship effort empowering Franklin County residents aged 60 and older with the tools essential for maintaining independence. The agency also ensures a safe and secure living environment for older homeowners in Franklin County through its Minor Home Repair program and is committed to recognizing and supporting non-paid and kinship caregivers, while Adult Protective Services plays a pivotal role in responding to reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

2023 Office on Aging Stats:

80,000+

seniors served.

15,000

clients enrolled in Senior Options.

4.8 Million

contacts with seniors.

2.1 Million

free meals delivered.

1.3 Million

miles of transportation provided.

2,349

cases investigated by Adult Protective Services.

80,450

hours of respite care provided.

460

community events attended.

5,000+

emergency kits delivered.

850

box fans provided to senior residents during the summer.

Last winter, I had problems with my heat and furnace. You were so helpful. We won’t have those fears this winter! The furnace you and your agency got for us, is keeping us warm and safe. You got Larry here and he got things together. It makes me happy to know I have a caring person like you in my corner!

~ Franklin County Office on Aging Services Recipient, S.A.

Agency Partner: Department of Job and Family Services

The commissioners’ largest agency and the one that touches the lives of the most Franklin County families is the Department of Job and Family Services (JFS), which supports residents with services such as food assistance, medicaid health coverage, publicly funded child care, and emergency housing assistance.

Nearly 1-in-3 Franklin County families engaged with JFS in 2023, more than 1,000 for each JFS employee. Sixteen million dollars in emergency housing assistance allocated by the department helped keep thousands of families in their homes, and more than $680,000 in federal funding was used to expand the award-winning Building Futures and Driving Futures workforce development programs.

In 2023, the agency also provided more than $70 million in funding to support initiatives such as:

Franklin County RISE, which offers child care scholarships for working families and incentives for early learning providers.
Summer employment and paid work experience opportunities for teens and young adults through the Ready 2 Earn program.
And innovative workforce development programs aimed at addressing historical disparities and shattering glass ceilings like Tech Women of Color.

In 2024, Job and Family Services will be deploying two new mobile office units that can bring the agency’s services directly into neighborhoods where people need them, and which can respond to urgent needs throughout the community.

2023 Job and Family Services Stats:

9,000 families & 25,000 children

are receiving publicly funded child care, and…

600 more

received RISE scholarships this year, and returns are as high as…

9-to-1

on investments in early childhood learning.

83.4%

of families receiving emergency housing assistance did not have a subsequent eviction.

Up to 20,000

calls per week are answered at Job and Family Services.

423,000+

residents benefit from Medicaid coverage.

Nearly

162,000

residents are receiving SNAP benefits.

8,800

residents are receiving Ohio Works First cash assistance.

900+

young people worked paid summer jobs through Ready 2 Earn, including almost…

400

that obtained industry-recognized credentials.

3,000

young people are in free after-school programs and summer camps.

170+

Building Futures and Driving Futures graduates.

80+

graduates of the Tech Women of Color program.

Program Highlight: Bridging the Digital Divide

One of the Office on Aging’s grant partners, NCUS TEC, is a local agency that works to bridge the technology skills and opportunity gap for seniors, and the senior technology classes that the commissioners fund help our older residents to become more tech savvy in a world that requires it.

95% of senior participants were able to learn to connect with friends and family via social media.
90% learned to use the internet to find resources independently.
100% of the participants successfully navigated a telehealth visit with their medical provider.

Agency Partner: Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency

Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) supports a healthy community of secure families who are supported and empowered by trustworthy community partners, and encourages parental responsibility so that children receive financial, emotional, and medical support from both parents even when they live in separate households. Child Support is an anti-poverty program, with child support payments helping families to cover essentials like rent, utilities, food, school supplies, and clothing.

2023 Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency Stats:

$143,793,139

in 2023 Collections.

65,213

open child support cases.

76,741

children supported.

42,780

children connected to their fathers through establishment of parentage.

122

outreach events attended plus participation each week with the Health and Human Services Mobile Unit.

$1,287,55

in grant funding administered:

$420,554

for Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security.

$827,000

for Economic Mobility and Responsible Parenting.

$40,000

for Access & Visitation.

6

fatherhood talk sessions with…

23

fathers participating.

Agency Partner: Community Partnerships

The commissioners’ Community Partnerships agency is committed to improving the lives of every Franklin County resident every day though collaboration and in partnership with local non-profit organizations, business owners, and national, state, and local governments. In 2023, this team granted nearly $33 million to more than 90 different recipients to support the organizations that our residents rely on for support.

Program Highlight: Maternal Mortality Symposium

Last summer, the commissioners hosted a Symposium on Maternal Mortality to discuss the rise in preventable deaths among new mothers nationwide and in Central Ohio. In recent years, the maternal mortality rate is up nearly 60% across America, and the U. S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention has determined that more than 80% of these deaths are from preventable causes. Even more troubling are the disparities experienced by various groups. The maternal mortality rate for Black women is more than twice that of White women, and women over 40 are dying at a rate that is seven times higher than that of younger mothers.

Hundreds of guests attended, and the commissioners participated in several panels on the topic along with local and national experts, as well as hosting a free screening of the documentary Aftershock, which follows the tragic cases of two young American women who died after giving birth. The commissioners are dedicated to addressing the maternal mortality crisis and the inequities within, and have advocated in recent years for women’s health initiatives at the statehouse, as well as supporting Celebrate One, sponsoring a partnership between Franklin County Public Health and the reproductive justice organization, ROOTT, and making grants to support the African American Male Wellness Agency’s new doula program.

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Community Safety, Security, & Effective Justice