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Child Advocate: Foster Care Lawsuit Necessary After Inaction

By: Associated Press
Posted on: Sunday, November 29, 2020

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An advocate for people who take custody of children they’re related to says a lawsuit seeking to boost payments for those children’s care was made necessary by the state’s inaction.

FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2019 file photo Kimberly Hall, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, looks over a photo display outside her office, in Columbus, Ohio. — FILE – In this Aug. 15, 2019 file photo Kimberly Hall looks over a photo display outside her office. [AP Photo | Andrew Welsh-Huggins, File]

Barbara Turpin is with the Ohio Grandparents/Kinship Coalition. She says she’s hopeful a federal lawsuit filed last week against the state will help qualified caregivers receive the help they need.

At issue is a gap between payments to non-licensed relatives and licensed foster care parents.

Ohio has been under pressure from child advocates to follow a 2017 federal appeals court ruling ordering equality in such payments.