Local group home growth straining resources, impacting kids: 6 things to know

Montgomery County Prosecutors have filed a motion asking that a 16-year-old now being held at the Montgomery County Juvenile Justice Center and accused of shooting a man in the head be moved to adult court.

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Montgomery County Prosecutors have filed a motion asking that a 16-year-old now being held at the Montgomery County Juvenile Justice Center and accused of shooting a man in the head be moved to adult court.

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Dayton Daily News city hall reporter Cornelius Frolik recently heard that the number of youth group homes locally had increased dramatically in recent years. He investigated to see what impact that is having on the community.

Here are six key takeaways from his reporting:

1. What he found: Read Cory’s story here. He found more than a third of group homes where kids from across Ohio are sent by the state because of delinquency or they are victims of abuse or neglect are now located in Montgomery County. This is straining local resources.

2. Law enforcement: Dayton police responded to nearly 3,000 calls for service at these group homes last year, including more than 600 calls to one home. This is a 75% increase from 2022 and more than three times the calls received in 2021.

3. Courts: Youth in group homes now account for more than a quarter of the cases with criminal charges in Montgomery County Juvenile Court.

4. Kids: Many children in local group homes come from other parts of Ohio, meaning they may be hours away from their families, friends, communities and the caseworkers and agencies that are supposed to be in charge of their well-being.

5. Context: This story looks at how the number of group homes here compares to other Ohio counties.

6. Solutions: State and city officials are discussing ways to better regulate group homes and address these concerns. Read that story here.

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