Press release
NEW BREMEN, Ohio – U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, met with representatives from 10 county boards of developmental disabilities (DD) on Tuesday to discuss how national policies could affect local DD support programs.
The regional roundtable, held at the Auglaize County Board of DD in New Bremen, drew superintendents from the Allen, Auglaize, Crawford, Erie, Huron, Mercer, Sandusky, Seneca and Union County Boards of DD. The head of the children’s early intervention program at the Shelby County Board of DD also took part.
“I appreciate the good work of the county boards of developmental disabilities, and I will keep fighting in Washington to ensure that they have the freedom and support they need to continue helping people with disabilities and their families,” Jordan said.
Jordan represents Ohio’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all or part of 14 counties. The 10 county boards of DD represented at the meeting together support more than 5,000 people with developmental disabilities and their families.
The meeting was organized by the Auglaize County Board of DD to give Jordan a chance to hear from multiple county boards of DD from his district at a single event. Organizers said the discussion was a chance to connect boards with the region’s voice on Capitol Hill.
Jordan heard from the agency leaders on topics such as federal funding for county-level supports, recent regulatory changes, and employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Attendees also discussed how Ohio’s DD support system is changing as boards move to comply with federal mandates on where and how services are offered.
Jordan’s meeting with the county board leaders came as national debates over health care policy and Medicaid continue in Washington. Federal Medicaid dollars are a major funding source for community-based services for people with developmental disabilities.
“Given the changes being discussed by the new administration and Congress, it is important that county boards of DD stay in touch with their federal representatives,” said Bridget Gargan, executive director of the Ohio Association of County Boards (OACB). “National changes can have major effects on the lives of local people with developmental disabilities. Their voices need to be heard in D.C.”
County boards offer a variety of services for people with developmental disabilities, including early intervention, school age services, and employment services. Established 50 years ago by the Ohio General Assembly, Ohio’s 88 county boards of DD now serve more than 93,000 people with developmental disabilities.