By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
Sonya Meyer is no stranger to Adams County Children’s Services. She’s worked there for 29 years, starting after graduating with a Social Science degree from Shawnee State University. A native of Adams County, Meyer began at Children’s Services as an ongoing caseworker in 1994 and continued until 1999, when she became a supervisor. She was hired as the new director in June following Jill Wright’s recent departure.
No doubt, Meyer has been working busily with her team, trying to get things done. They are in the process of hiring again, and she notes the frustration of being short-staffed. Still, she is hopeful and upbeat and asks for prayers, grace, and all the good vibes people can send their way.
It’s a challenging job, and although Meyer knows Children’s Services, she is new to the directorship, and the position comes with a learning curve. She claimed, “It’s different.” In the meantime, she is wearing her new hat and layering it with her old one and a former employee’s hat.
The biggest challenge? Meyer said, “The biggest challenge is budget and getting fully staffed.” She gives a short lesson on how they receive funding and the testing that goes along with the process to prove eligibility. It’s complicated, but the money is necessary to provide the much-needed services to the many children in Adams County who receive it. The foster care bill is the most significant expenditure. Meyer said, “If we didn’t have kinship providers and relatives that stepped up, I don’t even know what we would do.”
Meyer is hopeful. With the assistance of a new Assistant Prosecutor and Adoption Attorney, she breathes a small sigh of relief. She’s thankful for Judge Brett Spencer helping with drug screens and the courts covering the cost of fingerprinting. “Any help we can get is very much appreciated,” said Meyer. “Many people step up – coaches, teachers, community members, and it’s awesome. It’s a great community.”
Of her staff, Meyer said, “We have a good core group. We have a lot of people who have been here a long time, love to work and want to stay, and want things to get better and stabilized,” said Meyer.
The most significant focus is providing safety and stability for the children, which means Children’s Services needs funding, and a primary source of their funding is passing levies. A replacement levy will be on the November 2023 ballot, and it is crucial for the children that it passes. Another vast need is an Ohio facility for kids with severe mental health issues, as the Children’s Home is not licensed for those services.
As per the Defender’s article on June 22, the Commissioners have set aside money from state funding to build a new facility for the children behind the current Wilson Children’s Home. The old home plan is for transitional housing for those kids who age out of the system. Meyer looks forward to the new facility but realizes it is a slow process. In the meantime, she stays focused on hiring reliable staff to serve the children and passing the levy.
Meyer believes in good things for the future of Children’s Services. She said, “We are doing our best to protect the kids in the community – that’s our job. The staff here work hard and work a lot of hours. We’re working to get everything achieved. We are making progress and moving in the right direction.”