The state association of county child welfare agencies named Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, one of
four 2014 Outstanding Legislators of the Year at a luncheon Thursday in Columbus.
Public Children Services Association of Ohio recognized Gardner for his leadership in securing an
additional $20 million for child and adult protective services in the mid-biennium budget. Gardner
joined fellow Sen. Larry Obhof, R-Medina, and Reps. David Hall, R-Millersburg, and Dorothy Pelanda,
R-Marysville, to get the awards. "We couldn’t choose just two this year as each one has been
phenomenal in addressing needs of the child welfare system,"PCSAO’s Director of Policy and
Government Affairs Gayle Channing Tenenbaum said.
Currently, Ohio ranks last in the nation for the state’s share of child welfare funding. Tenenbaum lauded
Gardner for recognizing the need in both systems that protect and support Ohio’s most vulnerable
populations. "Our agencies are facing staggering caseloads due in part to the rise of opiate- and
other substance-abusing caregivers, staff burnout, and out-of-control placement costs for high-need
children," Tenenbaum said. "We need fiscal and workforce solutions to ensure that these
children can grow into healthy and productive adults."
Accepting the honor, Gardner helped present awards to six young people, currently or formerly in foster
care, for "Rising Up and Moving On" – overcoming tremendous life challenges to be successful
in school, work, and the community. Gardner remarked that hearing the youth’s stories helped him
appreciate even more the life-saving work that child protection caseworkers do every day.