GREATER COLUMBUS RIGHT TO LIFE

In December, we were contacted about a novel problem with Ohio law that was making it difficult or impossible for women who had a non-surgical abortion to bury her baby. Ohio law generally handles fetal death before and after 20 weeks differently, and in recent years created an optional pathway for women experiencing miscarriage before 20 weeks to have those remains interred. Ohio also passed a law requiring victims of surgical abortion to be interred through burial or cremation (this law is not in effect due to pending litigation). However, the laws do not (seem to) create a pathway for women who elect non-surgical abortion to obtain the paperwork necessary to bury their baby.


While it may seem counter-intuitive that this is necessary, we are seeing and hearing that as abortion pills - legally and illegally obtained, are flooding the state, more women immediately regret their actions. While abortion pill reversal has helped many women, it isn't 100% effective and many women do not know about it until too late.


We have been working with a broad coalition of interested parties, state agencies, and now lawmakers to identify a solution to this small but complex issue. We'll keep you updated on how it is fixed.


Consider learning more about post-abortion healing programs, local organizations that help with families that experience pregnancy and infant loss, and abortion pill reversal.

​This week we received some ugly and hateful mail. It was mail marked “Return to Sender” – originally mailed at the end of the year to a donor who passed away in August.

The person now living at this address had added some comments on the envelope. The front read, “This guy died, because like all opponents of abortion rights, he was a feeble old man, unable to cope with the modern world. Please stop sending this.”

On the back of the envelope, the current resident added, in block text:
Please kill yourself!!
God isn’t real!!
Abortion is awesome!!
Kill ALL the babies :)

He concluded with the phrase “Hail Satan” in all capital letters and set off with pentagrams. You can see the images here.

Over the next few months, Ohioans will hear that no one really likes abortion, but it is needed to protect women and their reproductive health. This is a lie. At the root of the so-called Reproductive Rights Movement is a segment of the population that loves abortion. They see it as salvation and profess it as a sacrament.

This, of course, will not be the language they use in the upcoming abortion ballot initiative, but it the language they use when they think no one is looking. No Ohioan should forget the complicity of groups like the Abortion Fund of Ohio (formerly WHOO), whose staff members and volunteers were criminally charged for after disrupting the 2021 Respect Life Mass and Roe Remembrance. These are not conscientious health-minded persons who just want to see women free and healthy. They are extreme abortion allies who want to force their views on every Ohioan.

I’ve had a few people ask if I thought this person “really” meant what they said, suggesting that perhaps it was just mockery. I don’t know. I do know that demons are real. Spiritual warfare exists. The devil doesn’t care if someone is just joking.

As both the hateful and threatening rhetoric has escalated and violence against pro-life organizations, pregnancy centers, and churches has escalated we are taking every incident seriously, including this one. My goal is that every staff member, volunteer, and event attendee feels safe expressing their constitutionally protected rights to free speech, conscience, and religion with Greater Columbus Right to Life.

It has come at a price for our small organization. We’ve installed security systems, retained private security at events, and more. This is in addition to the things we’ve always done structurally.
In this instance, I addressed the situation by sprinkling the envelope liberally with Holy Water, reporting it to the police and the Postmaster.

More interesting is how God addressed the situation. Within minutes, I received a message from a friend, who is a Religious sister, an educator, and a friend. Out of the blue, she shared a picture colored by one of her students following the recent Respect Life Mass and March for Life. She gave me permission to share it here. It is the Spiritual Adoption Prayer penned by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. If you cannot read it, it says “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion. Amen.” The student added the phrases, “Keep a baby safe,” “Do not be afraid!” and “God has a plan.”
What a perfect response at the perfect time.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “Behold I send you out as sheep among the wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

I’ve been using that verse from Matthew a lot. To be a sheep among the wolves as we engage with the brokenness and chaos of our world implies that we need to be aware that there are danger and evil in this world. To be wise as serpents and innocent as doves is a reminder to be prudent in our response, but also virtuous. It is to live in a world where a stranger sends you a note urging you to kill yourself because you dare to say babies should not be killed. It is to live in a world that is fundamentally unjust and to want to act prudently and virtuously toward the restoration of justice.

As I continue to reflect on these words, I have realized that there is a temptation to become overly self-reliant. Especially when the stakes are high. They are always high in this line of work, but they are especially high right now. We face the prospect of an extensive and expensive fight to keep extreme abortion laws out of Ohio’s Constitution.

No one wants to be a sheep among the wolves. But, as is so often the case – we are not merely warned. We are assured. In the Gospel of John the sheep are protected by the Good Shepherd, Jesus. He will see and meet our needs even before we are aware of them.

This is not always immediately visible, assuring, or obvious, but it is always true: the perfect response at the perfect time.

Join us today in praying for the conversion of this poor, angry, and misguided person and all like him.
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But pray also in thanksgiving for this child and the millions of other children who know in their hearts and remind us with their prayers that “God has a Plan.” That plan includes the millions of pro-life young people to whom the future belongs. 

If you would like to support the pro-life work that we are doing, consider making a donation today.

The mission of Greater Columbus Right to Life is to build a culture that protects innocent human life from the moment of conception until natural death. One of the biggest program goals within that mission: working within the communities we serve to end abortion.

Integral to meeting that goal is our work with individuals, families, church communities, and our pro-life colleagues to bring a faithful, united, and focused approach to the work of ending abortion. The public face of that work includes projects like sidewalk ministry and prayer, public demonstrations, and educational programming in churches and schools. Backing up much of that work, however, are the things we do behind the scenes to hold abortion clinics accountable, track trends, and deploy resources to the communities where they are most needed.

As part of our work to track trends and deploy resources to the communities where they are most needed, we not only monitor the number of abortions happening in our community, but we also look at the number of women who are having abortions by county. Several years ago, we realized that this only tells part of the story, and we began looking at the number of abortions happening as a percentage of the total number of otherwise viable pregnancies. What we've found helps us to better understand how abortion is impacting communities regardless of the size of that community. After all, counties with larger populations are more likely to have larger numbers of abortions. But tracking shifts in abortion trends and the abortion rate from community to community can help us to understand what areas need a little more help and which areas we should look to for ideas to improve. 

What we've found has been astonishing. Abortion rates in Ohio vary widely across the state, from less than 1% in Lawrence County to nearly 27% in Cuyahoga. 

It is important to remember that these numbers only provide a snapshot of what is going on based on abortions reported to the Ohio Department of Health under Ohio law. This means the numbers do not include women who may reside in Ohio but had an abortion in another state or abortions obtained illegally (ex: by mail) or (illegally) not reported to the ODH. It also does not include anything that is not considered induced abortion under Ohio law, such as embryos destroyed during IVF or prohibited from implantation due to various contraceptives.

We generally serve as the local pro-life organization to those in Franklin, Morrow, Union, Delaware, Madison, Fairfield, Licking, and Pickaway Counties, but we also extend our programming whenever possible to help individuals in other counties, especially those within the Diocese of Columbus that do not have formally organized pro-life organizations, and some of our projects have statewide reach. If you would like to join us in our efforts, obtain additional information for your county, or invite us to speak to your church or organization, please give us a call or contact our Speaker’s Bureau at www.gcrtl.org/speaker. 

If you would like to support all of our work, including our accountability and research projects like the Abortion Rate Project, please consider making a donation today. Our work exists only because of your support. 

Earlier this year, Greater Columbus Right to Life published a report on the number of botched medical abortions that had (so far) been reported for 2022. You can read an initial copy of that report here (it will be updated, because as we noted there has been as much as a seven-month lapse in reporting by abortion providers).


This week, we sent a letter to the Ohio Medical Board Executive Director noting that, once again, Ohio's most prolific provider of the abortion pill, Dr. David Burkons, and the clinics that he owns/is affiliated with, have reported only one of the 100 reported adverse impacts of 2022. In 2020 and 2021, his Northeast Ohio Women's Center clinics also reported only one adverse reaction. Dr. Burkons has a history of shoddy records keeping and actions that put patients in danger, which is why he has faced Medical Board disciplinary action in the past. There are also open investigations and hearings into him and his clinic that stem from an incident where aborted fetal remains and protected patient information were found in the trash can in the alley behind his Cuyahoga Falls clinic.


This is not the first time that we've identified abortion clinics that seem to be ignoring the requirements of 2919.123. We are encouraging any woman, organization, or medical provider who is aware of a woman who has had adverse medical outcomes from the abortion pill at any of the Burkons facilities to contact our office or file a complaint with the Medical Board (which is not a violation of any HIPPA laws). Read a copy of our letter to the Medical Board here.

Multiple women sought ER care for bleeding and at least two Ohio women were sold abortions for ectopic pregnancies – which are not treated with abortion.

A Greater Columbus Right to Life review of RU486 adverse effects documentation revealed that about 100 Ohio women reported significant adverse effects to their medical abortion provider in 2022. Ohio law (RC 2912.123) requires that complications like incomplete abortion, hospitalization, severe bleeding, failed abortion, or needing a blood transfusion are reported to the Ohio Medical Board by the physician that prescribed the abortion pill if he or she is aware of the complication. Those reports, which do not provide any identifying patient information, are available for review.  About 100 reports have so far been submitted to the Ohio Medical Board for abortions that happened in 2022.

This number is likely smaller than the actual number of women who were harmed by the abortion pill due to underreporting or seeking care at an emergency room, urgent care, or with a different physician.
Only the providing physician is required to report RU-486 events to the Ohio Medical Board, and Ohio Hospitals are not only exempt, but they are generally exempt from reporting most abortion complications to the Ohio Department of Health under other sections of Ohio law.

The number is also likely to be artificially low for two other reasons. There is not a definite timeline for reporting complications, and in most instances there is significant lag between the time that the event happened and the report is sent to the Medical Board. For example, more than 15 reports were provided to the OMB four or more months after the incident, and numerous times the report was filed more than seven months later. 

We believe that there is also significant underreporting happening by clinics that are simply not complying with Ohio law. Although Ohio has nine abortion clinics, three of which provide abortion-pills only, only seven clinics reported any adverse effects in 2022. Northeast Ohio Women’s Center, which is probably the state’s largest provider of the abortion pill, only reported one event at its Summit County location. It reported zero events at its Cuyahoga County location and zero events at what it describes as a “sister facility” in Toledo (the Toledo Women’s Center). These facilities are connected to one of Ohio’s most notorious abortion provider, Burkons, who has faced license suspension in the past and whose clinic is still under investigation after fetal remains and patient information were found in a trash can.

The number reported by abortion facility (so far) is: 

Northeast Ohio Women’s Center: 1
Preterm: 12
Planned Parenthood, Cleveland: 12
Planned Parenthood, Columbus: 5
Planned Parenthood, Cincinnati: 31
Women’s Med of Dayton: 31
Your Choice Columbus: 6

 Among the adverse events reported, by far the most common reported complication was an incomplete or failed medical abortion.

Several patients reported significant bleeding (requiring medical intervention) or being taken to the emergency room. At least two patients were listed as having failed abortions because their pregnancy was ectopic. One had no additional notes and the other was noted as being sent to the emergency room. This means that in at least two cases the pregnancy was not verified as intrauterine before being given the abortion pills (which cost about $800 on several OH websites).  

In the providers’ own words:

“Patient presented with retained IUP. Underwent uncomplicated D&C.”

“Ongoing heaving bleeding after medication abortion. Treated with suction D&C.”

“MAB procedure was initiated per FDA regimen on 5/23/22. Pt. called 5/27/22 to report little to no bleeding. US performed 5/31/22 revealed definite ectopic pregnancy. Pt. referred to hospital for treatment.”

“MAB procedure initiated per FDA regimen on 3/1/22. Patient called emergency RN line on 3/7/22 reporting heaving bleeding & cramping. US revealed continuing pregnancy. Surgical aspiration performed 3/8/22.”

The news was not all bad. In at least once instance, the “event” was that a patient’s medical abortion did not work and she decided to continue the pregnancy.

What does this information tell us?

The abortion pill is continually being pushed on American consumers – generally young women as being a safe, convenient, and easy solution to the “problem” of pregnancy. Again and again, we are told that abortion pills are safer than Tylenol.

Abortion activists are promoting “self-managed” abortions with abortion pills being mailed to patients from out of state, illegally. This is being aided and abetted by Department of Justice memos giving a wink to those providing abortion pills illegally that they need not worry about prosecution.

The Biden FDA has just announced that abortion pills will be available via telehealth appointments and can be picked up in most places at the corner pharmacy – and national chains like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS have already announced that they will be providers.

Abortion is always deadly for babies, and those who prioritize it as a necessity for women’s health are increasingly turning a blind eye to the health of actual women in their zeal for abortions.

Ohio’s Supreme Court will soon be taking up the matter of Ohio’s heartbeat law. We believe that law will be found to be enforceable and constitutional, and we will continue to press lawmakers to make Ohio an abortion-free state, even as our opponents want nothing more than to make Ohio a free-abortion state.

In the interim, Ohio can make a number of minor changes to Ohio law to help us to better enforce our existing and future laws. This includes:

• Modifications to Ohio’s medical abortion law that provides enforcement and penalties to physicians who fail to report significant adverse effects from the abortion pill.
• Requiring that adverse events and complications be reported within a reasonable time – not seven or more months after the fact.
• Requiring Ohio’s hospitals and emergency responders to report statistics related to medical emergencies when women experience complications from surgical or medical abortions, regardless of how that abortion is obtained. Ohio women deserve accurate and real information about the complications that happen from abortion.
• Updating the reporting information in Ohio’s Abortion Statistics report and on Ohio’s abortion reporting forms to reflect current laws and trends.

We also will be increasing our efforts to educate women about the risks and danger of the abortion pill and the opportunities for abortion pill reversal. We’d love to partner with you in that effort. 

In the last week, the Biden Administration has unleashed a series of actions that are an unprecedented attack on religious freedom, rights of conscience, and the unborn.


Step 1: On Thursday, December 29th, the Biden Dept of Health and Human Services started the process to rescind Trump-era conscience rights protections related to medical providers and facilities (including pharmacists and pharmacies). While the scope of conscience protections is broad, it especially applies to issues related to abortion and assisted suicide.


Step 2: On January 3rd, the FDA announced significant changes to how abortion pills are regulated, including that for the first time ever permitting retail pharmacies (aka the place where you fill your prescriptions) will be permitted to fill prescriptions for abortion medicine used for abortion. A few things to know:

• Generally, retail pharmacies will be able to fill medicines prescribed via tele-health meetings.
• Retail pharmacies will have to go through a certification process in order to be able to provide the medicines for abortion purposes.
• Several national chains, including CVS and Walgreens, have already announced that they will be going through the certification process.
• The certification process is through the producer of the medicine, not the state or federal government.
• Ohio law, at this time, does not permit retail sale of abortion medicines.

To elaborate on the last point, Ohio is one of only a small number of states that has enhanced regulations regarding the provision of the abortion pill. Ohio law requires that a physician must personally dispense abortion-inducing drugs for the purpose of inducing abortion.


In the last 24 hours, we've gotten several calls from individuals who would like to make sure that their pharmacy is not providing abortion inducing drugs. A couple of thoughts on that:

• Absent a change in the law or legal action, no pharmacy in Ohio can provide abortion drugs
• This does not mean that a pharmacy that is part of a chain will not provide it in other states
• Because this news is so recent, we do not have a list of pharmacies outside of Ohio that are or will be providing the drug, and it will change as pharmacies drop on and off. Certainly, this is a good reason to think of who is providing your medicines.
• Combined with the change in conscience protection laws listed in the first point, this will have the potential to force pharmacists to provide abortion drugs.

Step 3: On the evening of January 5th, the Department of Justice announced it will not pursue action against abortion drugs illegally mailed into states that prohibit it. While the first two provisions have gotten extensive coverage and provided limited relief for protection in Ohio law, this issue has largely slipped under the radar, even among pro-life leaders. Here is the DOJ slip opinion. A few things about what this means:

• The opinion specifically refers to the mailing, delivery, or receiving of abortion pills, as long as the act is not done with the intent for it to be used illegally.
• On its face, this looks like a reasonable assurance that, for example, a mailman will not be complicit in illegal abortion by delivering a package of abortion pills. However, the memo contains a meaty loophole.
• Specifically, this loophole (page 17) is that the memo states that a provider in another state will "typically" be familiar with federal, rather than state law, and typically will not know the intention of illegal use.
• The opinion is legal guidance for the DOJ, not a law or a regulatory standard. A future administration could reverse this.

Why is this important?
This is a clearly orchestrated attack on unborn life that is intended to undermine the spirit of Dobbs, which declares that states have the right to regulate abortion. It also continues to apply significant pressure to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospital systems, and more to engage in professional behavior that they find morally repugnant or opposed to deeply held religious beliefs. This is not acceptable. It also gives a significant wink to the networks and activists encouraging or providing abortions illegally. This is not theoretical. Yesterday as I walked through downtown Columbus, I spotted dozens of these stickers (placed illegally) on street lamps and other fixtures.

March for Life & Roe Remembrance Information

We’ve heard from many people who are interested in attending the 2023 March for Life in Washington DC and/or the Central Ohio Roe Remembrance at the Statehouse. Here is some helpful information and links for events, bus trips, and news about the annual Mass for Life cancellation (and alternatives)


March for Life in Washington DC
Friday, January 20th, 2023

Note to those traveling to Washington DC- The Archdiocese of Washington DC has announced that the annual Mass for Life and Youth Rally have been cancelled for 2023. We recommend to those who are interested to attend the National Prayer Service at DAR Constitution Hall (7:30 AM Mass, 8:30-10:30 Prayer and Worship) hosted by our friends at Priests for Life or one of the events at the National Basilica.

If you are organizing or helping to organize a bus trip to DC, especially if it is one that is open to other participants, please let us know. We will have some signs and materials to distribute to those who are interested, and we frequently hear from individuals who would like to find a bus trip to join.
 
Roe Remembrance
Monday, January 23, 2023
12:05 – Statehouse Atrium

The annual Roe Remembrance at the Ohio Statehouse will follow the 10:30 am Mass for the Respect for Life at St. Joseph Cathedral. Participants in both events are invited to process to the Statehouse for a very special Roe Remembrance on the 50th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision and the first year since its overturn. Event will be inside the Atrium. 

We anticipate the possibility of significant opposition to this event as well as strong interest in attending, and so we are again asking individuals and groups to register if they plan to attend.

We will also need a significant number of volunteers who will be available early for setup and staffing of the event. If you can volunteer with us or are able to underwrite expenses related to the program, please let us know today by emailing our team or giving us a call.

2021 Ohio Abortion Statistics
Concerning increase in abortions performed statewide, continued decrease locally
 
Today, the Ohio Department of Health released the 2021 abortion statistics. These numbers are released each September for the prior year. For the second consecutive year, the number of abortions performed in Ohio as well as the number of Ohio women having abortions has increased. This year the total number of abortions performed in Ohio rose by 1208 to 21,813, or 6 percent. The number of abortions performed on Ohio women also rose by 1278 to 20,716, or about 6.5%.
Greater Columbus Right to Life looks at the abortions where they are performed as well as by the County where the mother reports her residence. Although there were a small number of abortions performed in other counties, most abortions are performed in the six counties corresponding with major metropolitan areas. Of these Counties, only Franklin and Hamilton Counties saw a reduction in the number of abortions performed. Each of Cuyahoga, Lucas, and Montgomery saw abortions performed increase.
We are incredibly grateful to the work of our sidewalk counselors who are present to help women who are considering abortion connect to resources that can empower them to choose life. This is one of the reasons that Columbus regularly reduces the number of abortions happening and has seen clinic after clinic close. But we need to do better for our moms and babies. Even in this post-Dobbs era, with Ohio’s heartbeat law currently held up by an injunction, the business at abortion clinics is actually up. If you are interested in joining our sidewalk team, visit our website to get connected.

We also look at the abortions by the County where the mother reports her residence. While we will continue to review and update the numbers to provide these reports for each county as we traditionally do, an initial look at the counties where we are chartered shows room for improvement. Unfortunately, we saw increases in the numbers of abortions happening in Delaware, Morrow, Pickaway, Licking, Fairfield, and Licking Counties. Union and Madison saw decreases this year.
We also look at other statistical information. For example:

• Statewide, just under 50% of all abortions happened by non-surgical methods, mostly the abortion pill. For those procedures performed in Central Ohio, about 80% continued to be by non-surgical methods (the abortion pill).
• This year, fewer than 10% of women having abortions reported being married. Just over 76% of abortions were performed on women who were single (never married, widowed, divorced, or separated). About 7.8% did not report their marital status.
• After a significant decrease between 2019 and 2020, the number of girls under the age of 15 having abortions increased from 52 to 57. A similar trend was noted among young women 15-17 (an increase from 469 to 481). The trend continued for nearly every age bracket in Ohio, roughly proportionate the total statewide number of abortions until women aged 35 and older, which saw fairly static to small decreases in the numbers. 

While challenging and heartbreaking, these numbers are not entirely unexpected for 2021, and without your immediate help they could look worse for 2022. Our five quick take-aways that we urge you to consider

• Abortion clinic location and services continue to drive abortion numbers and type.
• The dramatic shift to abortion pills makes it more necessary thane ever that pro-life communities understand Abortion Pill Rescue and Reversal efforts, especially how the process works and how to reach a local provider. Learn more online, and consider helping us with a financial gift so that we can increase distribution of APR materials in the community.
• In a post-Dobbs world, it is more important than ever to stand up to help moms in need. Learn more about Ohio’s new Bold Beginnings plan in this email.
• We can reduce the number of abortions when we have peaceful, prayerful people who are witnessing on the sidewalks. Now is a great time to sign up for our sidewalk ministry or join the 40 Days for Life Campaign.
• Year after year, we continue to lead the state as an effective and faithful organization that leads through integrity. If you value this, please consider supporting our work through GCRTL or learn about our efforts GCRTL ACT. You can also send us a check at our office.

 
You can download a PDF of our report here. Report will be updated as we review and reflect on the available data.  
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Source: Ohio Department of Health

Governor Mike DeWine recently announced an expansion and enhancement of the Bold Beginnings Initiative, and effort to remove barriers to health care, ease financial burdens, and support parents in Ohio. 

GCRTL ED Beth Vanderkooi commented, "Ohio's pro-life Governor Mike DeWine has already drawn national attention for his work to prioritize moms, babies, and families in Ohio through the Bold Beginnings initiative, which leveraged and invested more than $1 Billion to support Ohio's children and families. We appreciate and recognize his lifelong commitment on this issue."


A copy of Governor DeWine's Press Release with program details follows: 


Governor DeWine Announces More Initiatives to Make Ohio the Best Place in the Nation to Have a Baby, Raise a Family
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced he is enhancing his Bold Beginning Initiative to remove barriers to health care, ease financial burdens, and support parents.

“I have a vision for Ohio to be the best place in the nation to have a baby and raise a family,” said Governor DeWine. “As a father of eight and grandfather of 26, I know that each pregnancy is different, and each family is unique. With Bold Beginnings: Healthy, Supported Families, Ohio will provide even more options and supports that can be tailored to each family’s needs, while providing assistance to mothers most at-risk for poor outcomes, to help them as they begin or add to their family. The research is clear, ensuring babies and their parents are safe and supported during pregnancy and the early years helps children succeed later in life. I want to see all children have the opportunity to succeed.” 

In partnership with the Governor’s Children’s Initiative, Governor DeWine’s Bold Beginning Initiative has already invested $1 billion in Ohio’s children and families and the new expansion will help even more. The expansion includes plans surrounding healthcare, stability, and Ohio as an employer taking the lead to support new families.

Healthcare
Consistent health care for expectant mothers and their babies helps families thrive. 
More Health Coverage for Moms and Babies: Governor DeWine plans to work with the legislature to increase eligibility for Medicaid-sponsored health care to pregnant women and children in families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. For a single, expectant mother, the income limit will be $54,930 per year. For a family of three, that’s up to $69,090 a year. This will allow more working families to access prenatal, labor, delivery, post-partum, and preventative care, as well as well-baby visits and other care for the youngest Ohioans, without the financial stress that accompanies major medical care. Earlier this year, Ohio expanded access by allowing new mothers to continue receiving coverage for up to one year after giving birth.
Comprehensive Maternal Care Program: Medicaid launched Comprehensive Maternal Care, a partnership with OB/GYN practices to connect expectant moms with care earlier in their pregnancy, focusing on improving birth outcomes. In addition, expectant moms will receive guidance and personalized assistance to access services, supports, and health care tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.
Best Practices In Birthing Hospitals: The Ohio Department of Health will work with Ohio hospitals and birthing centers to implement a standard of evidence-based clinical practices that help reduce complications and improve maternal and fetal outcomes.
Connection with Critical Resources: Ohio will make the Electronic Pregnancy Risk Assessment Form easier for providers to complete, ensuring vulnerable moms can be more quickly connected with services and supports. This form helps providers determine if state or community assistance is needed to provide stable housing, home visiting, nutrition, and education. By further incentivizing providers to complete this form, Ohio can connect more moms with critical services that contribute to a healthy, stable environment, ultimately leading to improved outcomes.
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness: Ohio will expand the reach of perinatal depression screening tools helping mothers connect to necessary care and improving their mental wellness. Many new mothers face post-partum depression and too often struggle to find the help they need, which leads to poorer outcomes for both the mother and the baby. Expanding the use of depression screening tools by health care practitioners combined with a statewide campaign to raise awareness about the importance of mental and emotional health of pregnant and parenting women will improve health outcomes.
Health Care for More Adopted Youth: Governor DeWine will work with the legislature to expand Medicaid access to more adopted youth, reducing economic barriers for potential adoptive families. Ohio will pursue a waiver to allow children adopted through private agencies to be eligible for Medicaid coverage, even if their adoptive parents have private insurance.
Care Coordination for Children with Complex Needs: Ohio has launched Ohio Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence (OhioRISE), a new specialized managed care behavioral health program for young people who have the most complex health care needs., OhioRISE addresses longstanding gaps in care and coordination that often result in families having to navigate complex, often siloed systems on their own. The program features a new statewide network of care management entities that operate under the OhioRISE plan and serve as community-based experts in navigating and coordinating care. More than 10,000 families have already enrolled in OhioRISE, which aims to keep more families together by creating access to new and enhanced, evidence-based mental health services.
Family Stability
Ohio will pursue initiatives to help families ensure stability – financially, physically, and emotionally. Meeting families’ needs and reducing stress by creating stability improves outcomes for mothers and their families, allowing them the opportunity to thrive.
Eliminating State and Local Tax on Baby Supplies: Governor DeWine will work with the legislature to eliminate state and local taxes on diapers, car seats, wipes, safety gear, and other baby supplies, saving Ohio families hundreds of dollars a year.
Safe, Secure Housing for More Struggling and New Mothers: Programs such as Healthy Beginnings at Home, which connects housing-unstable, pregnant women and new mothers with housing and wrap-around supports, are virtually eliminating infant mortality and improving birth outcomes among the families they serve. Ohio will pursue a federal waiver to provide short-term housing and wrap-around care to pregnant women and new families who are struggling to find stable housing. Additionally, Healthy Beginnings at Home will expand to more Ohio communities.
Increased Access to Nutrition Services: The Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), federal programs that help improve maternal health and reduce infant mortality by providing nutritious foods, have different enrollment processes, meaning eligible moms often aren’t enrolled in both. Ohio will expand the new pilot program that cross enrolls women in both federal programs, allowing more Ohioans to receive nutrition benefits.
Expand Programs that Provide Cribs, Car Seats, and Play Yards: The Ohio Department of Health, and the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund within the Department of Job and Family Services provide vulnerable and expectant new mothers with material assistance such as cribs, play yards, and car seats in order to keep children safe and healthy. The Department of Health will increase funding for this program to ensure more vulnerable families leave the hospital with critical items to keep their babies safe.
Safe Sleep/Cribs for Kids Program: The Ohio Department of Health is increasing their safe sleep education program because sleep-related infant deaths are some of the most preventable. Ohio’s newly certified foster parents will receive safe sleep information, and a partnership with Direct on Scene Education will educate first responders about safe sleep, in order to provide real-time safe sleep education and connect families with needed resources.  The Ohio Department of Health’s Cribs for Kids program will be expanding to reach even more Ohioans.
Expand Programs to Meaningfully Engage Fathers: The role fathers play in providing stability for their children helps contribute to their future success. Research shows that children who have meaningfully engaged fathers have reduced behavior problems, improved academic outcomes, and reduced poverty. The Ohio Fatherhood Commission will expand to help more fathers learn how to be meaningfully engaged in the lives of their child and the child’s mother. Often fathers want to provide for their children, but they lack education and skills to meet their financial obligations. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will partner with workforce development and child support enforcement agencies to help engage fathers, get them the training they need to begin careers, and help them better provide for their children.  
Increasing Quality Child Care Accessibility: Evidence shows that quality child care can help to change the life trajectory of children. Since taking office, Governor DeWine has focused on creating more opportunities for all children to attend quality child care programs. Increasing from 40% in 2019, now all child care providers who receive public funds are quality rated, meaning the settings are safe, the curriculum is quality, and there are programs and supports available to families. Governor DeWine will work with the legislature to increase eligibility for publicly funded child care to 150% of the federal poverty level – nearly $42,000 for a family of four.  This will help more working families access care. Additionally, Governor DeWine intends to create small business startup grants that will help child care providers cover their initial operating costs, with a priority focus on areas of the state that are child care deserts.
Foster Care Transformation: To ensure Ohio’s child welfare system is focused on the best interests of the children it serves, Governor DeWine created the Children’s Services Transformation Advisory Council to conduct a comprehensive review and develop a set of recommendations to improve it.  Their final report included 37 recommendations across 7 domains, including workforce, practice, and adoption. All 37 are currently implemented or underway at the Department of Job and Family Services, including the creation of a Youth and Family Ombudsmen Office to investigate and help resolve concerns involving children and families impacted by foster care and a public children services agencies. The next budget will include additional funding to ensure that public children services agencies have the resources they need to focus on a child’s best interest, to meet their increased demand.
Implementing Adoption Assistance: In addition to the increased Medicaid coverage for those children adopted through private agencies outlined above, Governor DeWine will work with the General Assembly to create parity between public and private adoption by offering private adoption families $1,000 toward the legal costs associated with adoption, reducing the financial burden of adoptive families.
Leading the Way
As an employer, the state of Ohio will lead the way in pursuing family-friendly policies for its workers.
Reducing Financial Burden of Health Care:  The DeWine Administration has eliminated all insurance co-pays related to prenatal care, labor, and delivery for state employees, reducing financial strain.
Increased Maternity Leave: Governor DeWine also extended paid maternity leave from six weeks to twelve weeks for state employees, allowing more time for families to create a strong start. Additionally, Governor DeWine will work to eliminate the two-week waiting period state employees have to access paid parental leave, further reducing the financial burden families face.
 
Some of the Bold Beginning Health, Stable Families initiatives are being implemented or expanded, while others will require legislation, but these efforts, combined with the quality services and supports that are available now, will help Ohio be the best state to raise a family.
“The bottom line is this: children living in poverty and family instability experience many types of stress and adverse childhood experiences that can impact their lifelong success. By intervening early in the lives of vulnerable pregnant women, we can break this cycle and create positive outcomes for moms and babies. This approach, helping both babies, and their families, will have profound impact on our communities and our economy, said Governor DeWine. "Supporting Ohio’s families now will help children thrive as adults and continue leading our great state to an even brighter future." 
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