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Ohio Unveils Limited Plan To Pay Relatives Caring For Kids

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has unveiled its plan to aid people who take custody of children they’re related but who aren’t licensed foster parents.

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, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, looks over a photo display outside her office, in Columbus. [AP Photo | Andrew Welsh-Huggins, File]
The program addresses 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 court ruling ordering equality in such payments.

Lawyers representing so called kinship caregivers sued the state in federal court in November to force higher payments.

Ohio’s plan involves per diem payments to the caregivers until they become licensed.

Kinship caregiver advocates call the program flawed and not in line with the federal court ruling.