November is "National Adoption Month," and Allen County Children Services is getting the word out about the process. So far this year, the agency has had twelve children find a forever home through adoption, triple the amount of last year. It's been one of the busiest years that Allen County Children Services has had, but there are still 10 children between the ages of 3 and 17 waiting for a permanent home, and that list could grow. So the call is going out for loving families to step forward and learn about the rewards of providing a child with a loving place to call home.

If you would like to help change a child's story, you may consider becoming a child advocate. CASA of Allen and Putnam Counties is looking for volunteers to help children who had to be removed from their families because of the situation they are living in. Advocates would help the children in court proceedings get a better life and outcome than they are leaving.

The City of Lima will be hosting a regional roundtable event focusing on early childhood education and development. Groundwork Ohio, a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization, will be in town next week for a "Roadshow Listening Tour" at the Lima Public Library. Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith and Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn will be hosting the event, where they want to hear from daycare providers, parents, and anyone who is involved in the early development of children from birth to 5 years of age.

Funding from the State of Ohio will be going to build new affordable housing in the City of Lima. Empty lots could be developed in neighborhoods with dollars from the state's "Welcome Home Ohio" program. Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith says that a $720,000 grant will provide "gap" funding for developers looking to build on empty lots now owned by the city. The funds will help revitalize areas with up to 24 new or rehabbed homes. The program is promoting infield development to build on empty lots within current neighborhoods.