A $220,000 donation is keeping the West Ohio Community Action Partnership’s (WOCAP) Head Start programs open temporarily after the government shutdown halted funding.

Increased benefits that were implemented during the pandemic will soon be rolling back to the average monthly amount starting at the end of February. The change is coming not only to Allen County but nationwide. Some people were reportedly getting up to $400 in food stamp benefits, but that number will slowly be scaled back to the normal amount of less than $100.

(WLIO) - Unemployment rates are both up and down around West Central Ohio for the month of August.

Fraud investigators from Job and Family Services found out that she falsely reported that the father of her children had moved out of the house and she was reporting the family income lower than it actually was to receive the benefits. This investigation was part of the agency’s Early Detection Program to stop and prevent these types of fraud.

Allen County Job and Family Services Director Joe Patton explains, “They would be referred to the fraud unit then there would be different repercussions that could happen through the state SNAP benefit system. One, you could be disqualified from food stamps for up to one year. And in the most extreme situations we would be making a referral to our Allen County Prosecutor’s office for criminal actions.”

Rhodes State College partnered with Allen County Job and Family Services and Ohio Means Jobs for their first ever virtual hiring event. The two agencies have several internal job openings that they’re looking to fill, and an in-person job fair was not an option due to COVID. Administrators from the departments that are hiring sat in front of their laptops ready to meet prospective employees, explain the job opening,  and answer questions. 

When a child is taken from their home, at no fault of their own, it's difficult. When a child is torn from their family it can be traumatic.