The League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area urges a yes vote on Hamilton County’s four-year, 5.61-mill Children’s Services levy on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. The op-ed puts the cost at about $121 per $100,000 of home value, $39 more than in recent years.
League president Claire Wagner argues that without approval, dedicated local funding for child protection will end and says the state will not step in. Citing a previous Tax Levy Review Committee report, she says states contribute an average 42% of child-welfare funding, while Ohio contributes 18%, the second-lowest share.
Wagner says the levy supports children in foster care and those receiving specialized treatment for physical and mental health needs. She also writes that Jobs and Family Services faces unprecedented increases in the cost of caring for children who cannot safely stay at home.
