HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Harrison Township trustees voted to ban any new group homes in their community for at least one year.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, John Bedell talked to Harrison Township Administrator Shannon Meadows about the decision.
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“This moratorium is not intended to get rid of group homes. It’s not intended to stop group homes from coming, but it’s intended to appropriately evaluate and control the exponential growth of group homes that we have been enduring for the last 18 to 24 months,” Meadows said.
The township joins the cities of Trotwood and Dayton as local communities that have enacted similar bans over the last seven months.
Dayton City Commissioners approved a 6-month extension on its group home moratorium on Jan. 29. It took effect Feb. 11 and will last until Aug. 14.
Meadows said the community hopes to use this year to discuss possible solutions.
“These services are needed throughout the state of Ohio, but we do not have an equal distribution of group home services throughout the state of Ohio,” Meadows said.
As previously reported by the I-Team, out of the 220 foster group homes for children across Ohio, 78 are in Montgomery County.
Group homes are for children who have been removed from their homes and are currently in the state’s care.
In many cases, the children are not from Montgomery County. Officials say it’s due to a lack of facilities across Ohio, but it’s straining for local resources.
Everything from police and fire services to the juvenile court system, to healthcare services at Dayton Children’s Hospital.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office got approximately 1,352 calls to juvenile group homes in Harrison Township from Jan. 1, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025.
The sheriff’s office said the most common call types are missing persons, missing but returned, and juvenile complaints.
Leaders in Harrison Township say there are ongoing talks with state lawmakers, even after a new law aimed at solutions here.
As previously reported by News Center 7, local state representatives Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Andrea White (R-Kettering) introduced HB 583.
In part, it’s aimed at putting more foster group homes in other parts of the state and placing kids in them closer to their hometowns and families.
Governor Mike DeWine signed that bill into law, and it takes effect next month.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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