Construction continues on the new Adams County Children’s Home facility behind the current Wilson Children’s Home. The building, funded entirely through grants rather than levy dollars, is expected to be ready for occupancy by May 2026. Officials say they are seeking community sponsors to help furnish individual rooms for the children, with plaques to recognize each sponsor. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)
By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
Officials from Adams County Children Services and the Adams County Prosecutor’s Office used the February 13 board meeting to give an extensive account of the events surrounding a youth who jumped from a second story window of the Wilson Children’s Home on January 31. The meeting included an hour‑long presentation detailing the timeline of the incident, multiple parallel investigations, the financial challenges facing the agency, the declining number of children in custody, and progress on a new residential facility that is expected to open later this year.
Investigator Chelsea Phelps of the prosecutor’s office delivered a detailed timeline beginning the night before the incident. She explained that on January 30 at 11:50 p.m. the Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home for a report involving runaways. After deputies left, the major incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Phelps said, “At 12:56 a.m. is when the incident occurs. At 1:01 a.m., the juvenile walked up the stairs, you know, he asked for help. You can hear people yelling, asking, ‘Hey, what happened’ calling 911.” She said emergency medical services arrived at 1:11 a.m. followed by the return of a sheriff’s deputy at 1:14 a.m. The next morning Children Services Director Sonya Meyer contacted Assistant Prosecutor Ariana Bowles Norris, who immediately contacted Prosecutor Aaron Haslam and Phelps. Phelps described a morning of rapid coordination with law enforcement and said she requested and reviewed video footage of the incident that same day.
Board President Reverend Hannum Taylor said the boy is recovering physically. “He was discharged from the hospital. Remarkably he’s doing well. Very. He’s walking. It’s kind of really remarkable.” Taylor said he knew the youth personally and noted that the outcome could have been far worse.
Taylor also spoke about the limits of what the agency can do and addressed the subject of responsibility. He told those gathered, “Fix what we can fix. Protect those kids we can protect. But also hold accountable kids for their own choices.” Taylor said the building’s design and age create challenges. He noted that many improvements have been attempted over the years to keep windows secure, including blocking them with wood, but youths have found ways around those barriers. He said, “There’s only so much you can do physically to protect these kids. We have a building that’s 150 years old so they have to have window air conditioners in them because we don’t have air conditioning over here.”
Assistant Prosecutor Haslam said three investigations are active. He explained that Children Services is conducting an internal review, the state is performing its own investigation, and the West Union Police Department is investigating the matter for any potential criminal charges. Haslam explained, “The West Union Police Department is investigating the incident for any possible criminal charges that might come out.” Any charging decision will be made by a special prosecutor from outside the county. Haslam added, “It’ll go to a special prosecutor, which will probably be one of the other 87 counties in Ohio.”
Haslam also delivered a detailed explanation about why he directed Children Services leadership not to meet with Judge Brett Spencer after the judge requested an immediate meeting in the days following the incident. He said that Judge Spencer had asked that all prosecutors attend a meeting between 1:45 and 2 p.m. on Friday, February 6, and that if that was not possible the meeting could occur Monday through Thursday of the following week. Haslam told the board that both he and members of his staff were unavailable at the proposed time because of prescheduled work commitments. However, he emphasized that availability was not the primary concern. He said he specifically advised Children Services Director Meyer and the agency’s executive team not to discuss the facts of the incident with the judge in order to preserve judicial neutrality.
Haslam stated, “We did not want him to receive any information from this administrative team that would cause him to be either impartial or unfair in a hearing.” He added that sharing details about the case could create ex parte communication because Judge Spencer oversees the same children’s dependency and custody cases involving youths placed in the Wilson Children’s Home. Haslam continued, “We do not want to be a party to create any bias for him.” He also explained that because any administrative, criminal, or civil matters that arise from the investigations would ultimately come before the court, the prosecutor’s office could not risk providing the judge with factual details before the investigations conclude. He told the board that once investigations are complete, a meeting with the judge would occur only to communicate process and next steps rather than specific facts.
Staff members described several safety changes underway at the facility. Workers from a security company were installing window alarms during the meeting. Staff reported that additional lights would be added so that workers could see when an alarm was triggered, especially during times when children are playing music or moving throughout the building. One staff member said, “If you’re back in this area, you can’t hear the alarm.” Motion sensors may also be added.
The agency reported 133 children in custody for January 2026, a significant decrease from recent years. Haslam said that when he resumed juvenile prosecution duties in early 2023 the number was near 199. Taylor said the number once reached 210. Staff and prosecutors credited faster case movement and an increase in adoptions. Seventeen adoptions were completed in 2024 and eighteen in 2025. Staff also noted progress in reducing the number of children in congregate care settings both locally and out of county. Despite the progress, the 133 children remain far higher than nearby counties with larger populations. Meyer noted that Brown County had about 50 children in custody and Pike County had around 15.
Financial strain continues to affect nearly every part of the agency’s work. Staff reported January revenue of $600,520.46, expenses of $543,239.99, and an ending extended cash balance of $207,353.06. Commissioners had to advance funds early in the year so that employees and providers could be paid. Taylor said, “We operate on a shoestring budget to do Children Services and protect kids in our county.” Staff said roughly 80 percent of the agency’s budget goes to BoardCare. Taylor pointed to the monthly bills and said, “Six kids listed there are eating a big chunk of our monthly budget.”
The board discussed the upcoming levy that would supply funds strictly for childcare. The board voted in January to place the levy on the May ballot, but it was later discovered that two board members’ terms had expired on December 31. Prosecutor Haslam is reviewing whether the vote must be redone. Meyer said, “We were hoping we would get two chances. We may not be able to run our levy on the May ballot. We may just have to do it in November.” Several speakers stressed that failure of the levy would force deeper financial problems. One mentor of the youth involved in the incident told the board, “This is why the levy is so important. It is all for the kids.”
Construction continues on the new children’s residential facility behind the current building. Staff reported that wiring is underway and insulation and drywall will follow. The completion timeline remains May. Officials clarified that the building is being paid for entirely by grants and trust funds rather than levy dollars. A sign will be placed along the roadway to inform the public that the building was purchased with grant money.
Board President Taylor announced that the agency is seeking sponsors to furnish rooms in the new building. He said, “We need families or groups to sponsor rooms for furniture at the new building.” He added that sponsored rooms would display a plaque on the door recognizing the donor. Taylor said this approach would ensure proper furnishing of the new facility without withdrawing money from essential operating funds.
Throughout the meeting officials from Children Services, law enforcement, and the prosecutor’s office emphasized a shared commitment to transparency and child safety. Haslam said, “Our ultimate goal here is to protect those children.” Taylor closed discussion of the incident by saying, “Fix what we can fix. Protect those kids we can protect.”
