MANSFIELD, Ohio — The Richland County Youth and Family Council hopes to obtain grant money to provide services specifically targeting the 16-24-year-old population.
Teresa Alt, executive director of the Richland County Youth and Family Council, shared this information with the county commissioners Thursday.
Following Alt’s recommendation, commissioners approved a resolution that designates the Richland County Youth and Family Council to serve as the Richland County Healthier Buckeye Council. They also designated the Richland County Job and Family Services to serve as the fiscal agent for the local Healthier Buckeye Council.
“We would then be able to recruit additional members, and there are, potentially, grant dollars available through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services,” Alt said.
She noted that $5 million is listed in the department’s budget for fiscal year 2016 and $6.5 million for the following year.
“These particular funds are to target the 16-24-year-old population to try to help them get securely positioned in the workforce,” she added.
Alt noted that the Youth and Family Council already has partnerships and contracts with local providers serving that age group.
“This seems to me to be a good fit for you,” Commissioner Tim Wert said.
Alt said the 16-24-year-old population can sometimes be difficult for social services to serve, and can require a different kind of case management.
“Our systems, currently the way they’re comprised, don’t really address that very well,” she said.
But that will hopefully change with this new designation and the potential grant money, which will help the council have a “specialized approach” to reaching that particular age group, she said.
