County officials visit White House to talk about crisis

More than 80 Ohio county commissioners made their way to Washington D.C. Aug. 29 to meet with White House officials.

Among them was Lake County Commissioner Jerry Cirino.

The goal of the event was to develop a working relation between the White House, federal agencies and Ohio county leaders. Speakers at the event included Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Representatives from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and

Urban Development, Veteran’s Affairs, the Department of Energy and the Small Business Administration were also on hand.

Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, spoke to the commissioners about the opioid epidemic. The issue is a growing problem nationally, but one that especially hits close to Ohio, where every corner of the state has been affected. More than 4,000 people died from drug overdoses last year, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That’s

a 33 percent increase from 2015, which the deadliest year on record.

“She referred to a new concept we never had before in our lexicon before, which is opioid orphans,” Cirino said.

While the word may be new, Ohio is already seeing an increase in children being removed from their homes — temporarily or permanently — because parents are struggling with opioid addiction.

“As Ohio continues to be devastated by rapidly increasing numbers of opioid overdose deaths, the children services system is experiencing similar climbs in the foster care population,” Public Children Services Association of Ohio

Executive Director Angela Sausser said. “Ohio’s foster care population grew by 10 percent in just one year to over 15,000 children. Compared to 2010, 22 percent more Ohio children are in foster care today.”

Lake County’s Jobs and Family Services Department has seen a 38 percent increase in the number of children placed in the department’s custody. Executive Director Matt Battiato attributes much of that increase to the opioid epidemic.

Once children are in the custody of child protective services, they are put either into a foster home or residential facility, and with that come increased costs. Battiato has said the cost

of keeping a child at a residential facility can cost $300, $400 and in some cases even $500. The department is asking Lake County voters in November to approve a 10-year renewal of the current 0.7mill levy with an additional 0.4-mill levy.

Conway also discussed various sources of funding flowing through states and the federal government, Cirino said.

“She spoke for about 20 minutes or so on the (opioid epidemic),” Cirino said. “If you’ve been paying attention to the opioid crisis there wasn’t a ton of new information from her, except there seems to be an enhanced priority for the federal government.”