Latest news with #HelpMeGrow
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Auglaize health district seeks replacement levy
Apr. 29—WAPAKONETA — Voters in Auglaize County will be asked to approve an .85-mill, 10-year replacement levy for the Auglaize County Board of Health during this year's May 6 election. The levy, if approved, will fill a void created when the district's current 1-mill levy expires. The .85-mill levy sought by the health board — although on its face a reduction in tax collections — actually will ask residents to dig just a little deeper into their wallets. County Health Commissioner Oliver Fisher said the health district has been operating for the past 30 years on renewals of an existing 1995 levy. A replacement levy, instead of another renewal, will allow the district to capitalize on property values that have risen substantially in the past three decades. The renewal levy, Fisher said, will assess property owners at a rate of $29.75 per $100,000 of valuation. That marks a slight increase from current assessments. Fisher is sympathetic to families that are already on edge due to a host of financial uncertainties but said the health board's first increase in 30 years is needed to keep the district's diverse public health outreach and prevention programs afloat. "When we put a levy renewal before voters 10 years ago we had great support. Nearly 75% of the votes cast were in favor. I realize it's a different economic climate now and that some families are struggling, but at the same time we need to get caught up with current (real estate) evaluations," Fisher said. "I'm hoping the voters will support us again." The replacement levy, if approved, will generate nearly $1.4 million annually to support a wide range of services to the more than 45,000 residents of Auglaize County. A sample of offerings and programs made possible through the health department include: —Community outreach efforts, including providing education for health professionals, participating in community health assessment efforts and health improvement plans. —WIC, or Women, Infants and Children, which provides supplemental food, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support to low-income women with children up to age 5. —Help Me Grow, a free program for expectant parents and their children up to the age of 3. —Child car seat classes and child seat giveaways. —Cribs for Kids program, which provides Pack-and-Play cribs (based on income eligibility) so infants have a safe place to sleep. —Emergency preparedness, which offers training for public health leaders on how to respond during an emergency. "People are sometimes surprised at what all we do," said Fisher. "We do a lot behind the scenes but when people need us, we're there." A five-member board of health directs the district's policies. The health commissioner said a "team effort" is crucial to the levy's passage. "We have a levy committee that's working hard to get the word out. We hope the community will support us," Fisher said. "If the levy fails, we may have to look at some program cuts ... which is something we really don't want to do." Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio public health one of the worst funded in the country, faces further cuts in state budget
() A new analysis of state public health systems shows Ohio's has some of the worst funding support in the nation, and that funding could go down even more in the newest state budget. Using 2021 data from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio found that the state spent $24 per person on public health, 'far less than most other states.' 'Overall, Ohio's investment in public health is lower than many other states at both the state and local levels,' the institute stated. According to the data, only 12 states are worse than Ohio for state public health funding, with the worst being Missouri, at $6.54 per person in 2021. The highest ranked was the District of Columbia, at $370.56 in per-capita spending that year. Public health involves everything from vaccine awareness and health education to food and water safety. While health outcomes are influenced by clinical care like primary care check-ups, health behaviors and the social, economic, and physical environment make up a bigger part of the health outcome influences, according to policy briefs by the institute. 'Public health workers focus on stopping health problems before they start,' the HPIO stated in a recent policy brief. 'For example, public health workers prevent injuries and deaths by providing parents with information about how to correctly install infant car seats, distributing drug overdose reversal medication and raising awareness of senior fall prevention programs.' Other public health roles include nurses at school-based health centers, restaurant inspectors, public assistance program nutritionists, epidemiologists who look at health trends like infant mortality, and workers who conduct home visits as part of the Help Me Grow program. That program, along with infant vitality programs are portions of the state budget that may see cuts, even as public health advocates ask the state to support the sector more than it already does. In the Ohio House's version of the state budget, $22.5 million would be cut from the Help Me Grow program in fiscal year 2027, representing a 26% reduction. Infant vitality programs would see cuts of more than $2 million each in 2026 and 2027, a nearly 10% cut. The programs, both housed under the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, are still awaiting final numbers, as the Ohio Senate takes up its budget discussions. A final draft will then be developed by both chambers, before it's sent to the governor by July 1. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The House version of the budget leaves local health department support unchanged, with that support set at the same $2.379 million the line item received in 2024 and this year. State funding for infectious disease prevention and control within the Ohio Department of Health will also receive relatively the same amount of funding as it received in 2024, though the House version drops the budget slightly from the estimated 2025 funding. The 2025 estimate by the state has funding at $5.2 million, and the House set funding for 2026 and 2027 at $4.9 million per year. In Ohio, 2023 annual financial reports from the Ohio Department of Health and the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners showed 72% of local health department revenue comes from the local level, including local government funds, public health levies in some areas and fees. Federal funding distributed by the state makes up 16% of the revenue, 6% is from other state sources, and 5% comes from direct federal funding to local departments. Local health departments only receive 1% of their revenue via state subsidy, according to the data. The Health Policy Institute's review of 2024 Ohio Department of Health data shows it receives half of its revenue from federal sources, 31% from the state and 19% came from the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With $979 million in state fiscal year 2024, the state used that revenue almost equally across three topics: disease prevention, implementation of the federal Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program, and services related to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, according to an HPIO policy brief on public health basics. These three topics each took 22% to 23% in ODH expenditures. Another 11% went to family and community health services, 6% went to maternal and infant vitality, 5% to administrative services, 4% to 'quality assurance' for long-term care facilities, 4% for public health preparedness information and 2% for 'other family and community health services' passed through local health districts. Public health initiatives yield an average return on investment of $14 for every dollar spent, through improved health outcomes, reduced health care costs and increased productivity, according to the institute's public health analysis. Among other policy recommendations, the instituted urged continued or even increased support for the federal Public Health Infrastructure Grant would be important to 'strengthen the public health workforce, foundational capabilities and data systems through the end of 2027.' The public health sector has faced struggles like high turnover, high burnout rates in existing employees and a lack of adequate pay. 'Consistent delivery of these services across the state depends upon an adequate public health workforce,' the HPIO stated. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Put your money where your mouth is': Black health advocates stress need for funding
Apr. 17—Ahead of the Ohio Senate's deliberations on the state budget, chamber Democrats and Black health advocates are encouraging the state to "put your money where your mouth is" during this budget cycle. "We talk a whole lot about caring about families, caring about children, teaching them how to read — but they gotta live before they can start to read," said state Sen. Catherine Ingram, D-Cincinnati, joint chair of the Ohio legislature's Black Maternal Health Caucus. Ingram was joined by co-chair Sen. Paula Hicks Hudson, a Toledo Democrat who will be the party's top budget negotiator when the Senate picks up the budget later this month. The two used a statehouse press conference to cap off their inaugural Black Maternal Health Summit, aimed in large part at addressing the disparities between infant and maternal health outcomes between white and Black families. A press statement from the summit relays that Black women in Ohio are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and that Black infants die at more than twice the rate of white infants. "These disparities are rooted in long-standing structural inequities — not differences in biology — and are preventable with intentional investment and policy change," the statement reads. Caitlin Feldman, policy director for the early childhood advocacy organization Groundwork Ohio, told reporters: "it is far past time for Ohio to be lifted out of the basement when it comes to infant and maternal health outcomes." Feldman called for the Senate to counteract several changes the House made to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed budget. Those include a $22 million decrease in funding toward Ohio's Help Me Grow home visitation program and the cancellation of a governor-proposed plan to create an up-to $1,000 tax credit for every Ohio child under seven years old. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Looking for a great photo spot? Check out these murals around Wichita Falls
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — As the weather begins to warm up and Wichitans leave the house for more outdoor adventures, there is a lot of beautiful artwork ready for a great photo shoot. While the artwork is beautiful, it also carries a special significance to Wichita Falls' identity. 'Art in public places is a visible commitment to community.' Ann Arnold-Ogden, executive director of the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture, said. 'It tells the story of who we are, what we value and where we are going.' Below is a short list of some murals around town. All photographs were provided by the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture. Quackin into the 30's 675 Wichita St. Floral Rest Stop 1509 Lamar St. Help Me Grow 400 Bridge St. St. 200 Velvet Rodeo Saloon 1400 N Scott Ave. Wichita Falls Hot Rod 1423 32nd St. Just Be 710 10th St. Don't Forget to Fly Wichita Falls Brewing – 701 Indiana Ave. Don't Quit Your Daydream Wichita Falls Brewing – 701 Indiana Ave. Citadel 801 7th Street Forever and a Day 701 Indiana Ave. Love Bunny 709 Indiana Ave. I know my purpose 710 10th St. For a more in-depth list of local murals, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Baby Day 2025: Help Me Grow event supports child development
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Help Me Grow Family Resource Center will host Baby Day 2025 on April 26 at 400 Bridge Street. Baby Day 2025 is a family-friendly event, part of a statewide celebration that aims to raise awareness about the importance of a child's first three years. House committee backs bill to name Texas highway after Molly Mullins The event will host a day of fun, learning, and valuable resources for families with children ages newborn to eight years old. Rebecca Ruddy, Help Me Grow program coordinator, said she is thrilled to host Baby Day 2025. 'This event is a fantastic opportunity for parents and caregivers to connect with one another, learn about available resources, and discover ways to support their child's growth and well-being,' Ruddy said. Help Me Grow is a program of the North Texas Area United Way. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
