Trump administration threatens to gut Head Start rules
Advocates warn losing disability screening and staffing standards could weaken outcomes for the roughly 70,000 California children Head Start currently serves.
Poverty
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States sue Trump administration over plan to share antipoverty program data
24 states and D.C. sue to block an Aug. 11 rule forcing them to hand over TANF recipients' Social Security numbers and immigration status.
More than 1 million Ohioans aren’t getting essential safety-net benefits, analysis shows
Just 1 in 5 eligible Ohio households got energy assistance in 2023, and federal SNAP cuts of $186 billion could push participation even lower.
Ohio will soon get new Medicaid work requirements. Here’s what we know and don’t know
The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law last year, will require many Ohio residents with Medicaid to prove that they work or volunteer. But advocates still have a lot of questions about how it will work.
As federal teen pregnancy prevention grants get cut, efforts in Ohio try to keep helping
HHS canceled 53 of 67 grants worth $68 million as Democracy Forward sues, while Ohio nonprofits and DeWine's faith-based office weigh how to fill the gap.
More Ohioans are getting their power shut off as energy costs surge
AEP Ohio's disconnection rate hit 15%, quadruple FirstEnergy's, as the utility's CEO earned $36 million last year while bills climbed 53% since 2021.
Ohio renters need to earn at least $23.82 an hour to afford two-bedroom rental, new report shows
The average Ohio renter earns $19.59 an hour, $4.23 short, while the state faces a shortage of 266,000 affordable rental units.
Citing a hunger ‘crisis,’ US mayors call for end to federal SNAP cuts
Lima, Ohio's mayor joined 210 others urging Congress to delay new SNAP rules projected to cost states over $9 billion starting fall 2027.
Food assistance advocates ask Congress to delay GOP megabill shift of SNAP costs to states
Advocates say 4.5 million people, including 1.5 million children, have already lost SNAP benefits, with states like Alabama weighing cuts to the program entirely.
Ohio approved $1 million in emergency funds to help 16 children from Vinton County
State officials warn foster care costs of up to $250 per child daily could bankrupt Vinton County, while four family members face 16 felony counts each.
Amid heat wave, energy assistance is available in Ohio
A family of four earning under $57,750 a year can qualify for help with AC repairs, bills or shutoffs through the state's Summer Crisis Program, running through Sept. 30.
68% of Ohio fourth graders are not proficient in reading, according to new study
Reading proficiency has dropped 4 points since 2019 despite Ohio's science of reading mandate, though the state still outperforms the national average.
Climate change could double household water costs in some cities, study finds
Stanford researchers project Santa Cruz's poorest households could see water bills jump from $60 to $111 monthly by midcentury without state or federal help.
Food stamp changes will cost states billions, raising fears about SNAP’s future
Ohio is among 36 states facing new SNAP cost-sharing rules starting fall 2027, tied to payment error rates that advocates call unfair and unworkable.
Medicaid meal deliveries reduce hospital visits and costs
Massachusetts researchers found the meals cut hospitalizations 31% and saved $3,433 per person, nearly offsetting the program's full cost to taxpayers.
Ohio children unable to access mental healthcare because of insurance, costs, and lack of providers
A Health Policy Institute study finds nearly half of Ohio families cite insurance barriers, with out-of-network therapy costing $220 monthly versus $28 in-network.
One year after biggest SNAP cuts ever, 100,000 Ohioans without help, state bracing for costs
Ohio faces $160 million in new SNAP costs after federal cuts shifted 75% of administrative expenses to states, threatening food security for 1.4 million monthly users.
‘It’s a big help.’ Weekly mobile routes provide meals to hundreds of Ohio children during summer
Children's Hunger Alliance operates four mobile routes across Ohio, serving hundreds of kids weekly as summer hunger peaks for families losing school meal access.
Jon Husted opposes making the wealthy pay their fair share into Social Security
Husted opposes the bipartisan plan to lift the Social Security payroll tax cap, which would require higher earners to pay more into the system.
People experiencing homelessness in Ohio went up 3% in 2025, according to federal report
Ohio's count rose to 12,196 even as U.S. homelessness fell 3%, with Franklin County projected to see a 68% spike in unsheltered homelessness by 2028.
