The customer design team in Chillicothe recently held an event with the Adams County Court House. The team worked with Judge Brett Spencer and his assistant, Veronica Grooms, to donate 30 backpacks that will be used by children removed from the care of abusive or neglectful parents. (Most of time, when children are placed in a new home, they have little to no belongings.)
In addition to funding from AEP Ohio, the customer design team collected $1,000 for purchasing the 30 backpacks. Our volunteers filled the bags full of essential goods including diapers, wipes, pajamas, onesie jumpsuits, sippy cups, pacifiers, lotion, shampoo, books and coloring books, and other toys. The recipients range in age from newborn to preteen.
The Wilson Children’s Home is a state-funded facility and the only children’s home in AEP Ohio’s Chillicothe District. The facility is where displaced children stay when foster homes are unavailable. It also hosts supervised visits for those in foster care.
Adams County by the Numbers
- Averages 15 removals per month
- Highest percentage per capita in Ohio for children removed from their homes
- There are only 10 active foster homes in Adams County and the Wilson Children’s Home can house only 17-20 children
- Children are typically displaced all over Ohio when removed from a home