When the Ohio House of Representatives passed H.B. 119 last week they had earmarked a record $7.5 million in 2008 and $7.6 million in 2009 of the Child and Family Health Services line Item 440-416. The earmarks represent three quarters of the total amount budgeted for the line item and if all the earmarks make out of the legislature and avoid the governor’s veto pen there will be less than half as much money to pay for the services this line item has provided in years past.

According to the Ohio Department of Health the goal of the CFHS grant program is to eliminate health disparities, improve birth outcomes and improve the health status of women, infants and children in Ohio. Services are provided through grant awards to local agencies in 79 counties. While the majority of these agencies are local health districts, CFHS also provides services through community action agencies, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, a college of medicine, a Family and Children First Council, an MRDD board and a Planned Parenthood. The population of interest for CFHS is low-income women and children in racial and ethnic groups that are disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes. The focus is on geographic areas and populations of highest need. The OIMRI component is specifically focused on those populations at the greatest risk of poor birth outcomes.

So my question is if the available dollars are cut in half (after all the earmarks are paid) what is going to left to provide the services described above?