LISBON — A new tri-county treatment foster home program may bring a couple of Columbiana County kids back to the area from out-of-state facilities and make it possible for more to return in the future.

Columbiana County Department of Job and Family Services Director Rachel Ketterman on Wednesday notified county commissioners about a press release announcing the collaborative effort of Columbiana, Medina and Portage counties.

Known as the Northeast Treatment Foster Home program, the press release said “this tri-county program is a determined effort to do better for children and families, seeking additional support and foster homes to be part of the solution to a state-wide problem in the shortage of homes for kids.”

“I’m really excited to work with Medina and Portage counties on this program,” Ketterman said.

Two foster homes in the county are interested in becoming treatment homes, she said, which will enable the agency to bring back a child in a facility in Arkansas and one who’s housed in Dayton. She said the hope is to have three licensed treatment foster homes in place by June.

“There’s definitely a crisis,” Ketterman said.

According to the press release, the goal of the program is to provide out-of-home care in a specialized setting for youth in or near their own community. Holly Repas will serve as the Treatment Foster Care

Program Manager for all three counties, working with currently licensed family foster homes interested in becoming therapeutic homes. She’ll also work with DJFS team members in all three counties to recruit new treatment homes.

“Repas will work closely with those families and the children to bring together networks of supportive services for children who are often placed out-of-county and sometimes out-of-state,” the press release said.

Treatment foster homes require additional specialized training to work with children with significant needs, with the per diem rate for children in therapeutic homes ranging from $45 to $200.

In the three counties, there are currently 93 licensed foster homes. Out of 313 children in the custody of the counties, 61 of those children are placed out-of-county in congregate care settings due to having a higher level of need. According to the press release, Ketterman and the DJFS directors in Portage and Medina counties indicated they “are confident some of these children would thrive in a less-restrictive setting if given the opportunity and valuable wrap-around support.”

Anyone interested in more information about what treatment foster care is or how to become licensed may reach out to Repas at Holly.Repas@jfs.ohio.gov or call her at 330-235-3137.

In other business, Ketterman gave commissioners an update on the closeout of the $351,000 Healthy Aging Grant which is now over. The grant from the Ohio Department of Aging was supposed to fill a need for low-income senior citizens for both indoor and outdoor home repairs or maintenance to improve safety, such as installation of a ramp, grab bars or railings.

“We spent every dime, every penny,” she said.

There were 1,311 unduplicated cases, with 1,115 for food assistance, 61 for home repairs and 69 for internet access or digital literacy. A lot of the home repairs took place in the southern end of the county, with the food assistance throughout the county.

At Ketterman’s request, the commissioners approved the following contract ceiling spending increases for senior services levy contracts which expire Dec. 31: FTC Cleaning LLC, homemaker and chore services, $15,000 ceiling increased to $16,500; Mother’s Karing Touch, homemaker, home health aide and chore services, $15,000 ceiling increased to $16,500; and ShineOn Cleaning LLC, homemaker, home health aide and chore services, $40,000 ceiling increased to $44,000.

The next meeting of commissioners will be 9 a.m. Tuesday at the downtown courthouse.