Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to authorize an emergency $14.6 million funding increase for Franklin County Children Services, raising the agency’s spending to roughly 10% above its nearly $250 million annual budget, according to ABC 6 News. The agency says the pressure reflects the rising cost and complexity of caring for children already in its system, rather than a significant increase in the number of children entering care.
Overspending Driven by Complexity, Not Caseload
According to WSYX, Franklin County Children Services has been running more than $500,000 over budget every month, and the newly approved funds are available for immediate use now that commissioners have signed off. FCCS spokesperson Scott Varner told the outlet the increase reflects the complexity of cases rather than a surge in the number of children entering agency care.
FCCS has about 1,500 young people in its care and custody, according to ABC 6 News; at least one in four faces complex challenges. The agency says those cases can involve legal trouble, mental health needs and participation in other systems, increasing the need for costly services. FCCS has also increased spending on prevention, including housing stability, food stability, transportation assistance and parenting classes. Varner said preventing family crises is less expensive and better for children.
A Levy-Backed Budget Under Growing Strain
Ohio's Broader Child-Welfare Costs
Franklin County’s budget pressure sits within a larger statewide child-welfare system. According to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, Ohio’s child-welfare costs totaled nearly $1.6 billion in state fiscal year 2024, including $690 million in local funding. That figure provides statewide context for the scale of the system but does not, by itself, establish how placement costs have changed over time or whether Franklin County’s recent increase matches a statewide trend.
The additional funding comes from a tax levy and the state, the station reported, reflecting a funding structure that predates this year's overrun. Franklin County voters approved Issue 46 in November 2024, a 10-year, 2.5-mill property tax levy combining a renewal with a 0.6-mill increase specifically to support county child welfare services, according to WOSU Public Media. That levy, which passed with 62% approval, added $21 per year in taxes for every $100,000 of property value.
Local property tax levies generate more than 72% of Franklin County Children Services' annual operating budget, according to Franklin County Children Services, making FCCS far more dependent on local property taxes than on state or federal dollars. Ahead of its 2024 levy request, the agency reported that its overall cost for child care had risen 24% over the preceding three years.
Oversight, Lawsuits, and a Vocal Critic
The budget overrun lands as Franklin County Children Services navigates heightened scrutiny from the state. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth placed the agency under heightened oversight and technical support in May 2025 following five child abuse and neglect fatalities within a 15-month period, as Hoodline reported in its coverage of a Franklinton child endangerment case.
The agency is also facing litigation. The estate of 8-year-old Martonio Wilder filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in May 2026 against the county and a contracted service provider, alleging a failure to investigate abuse reports and make required face-to-face visits before the child was killed in 2024, according to WOSU Public Media.
At Tuesday's commissioners meeting, Khaula Zafar spoke out against the additional funding, arguing the money is directed toward the wrong areas and should instead minimize trauma for children and families, per WSYX. Zafar's family has previously faced roadblocks involving her adopted son's biological half-brother, according to WBNS 10TV.
A Statewide Pattern in Placement Costs
Franklin County Children Services' spending and oversight model has drawn attention from state lawmakers.
The financial pressure isn't unique to Franklin County. Per a report from NBC4 WCMH-TV, $1 million was being considered for 16 Vinton County children. WBNS 10TV has also reported on child deaths involving Ohio public children services agencies.
