Key facts
- 16 children were removed from a dilapidated home in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30 due to severe neglect.
- Four adults, including the children's parents and grandparents, have been charged with child endangerment.
- Paid placement costs for children in Ohio have increased 41% since 2020, with residential care costs up over 65%.
- The state's share of spending on children services has risen to 20% but remains below the national average of 42%.
- Vinton County, Ohio, faces an estimated $200 per child per day expense for the 16 children now in foster care.
- Republican lawmakers in Ohio cut funding for a lead abatement program from $7.5 million to $250,000 annually.
Sixteen children were removed from a dilapidated home in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30, with several found near death, highlighting a severe crisis in the state's child welfare system. The children's grandparents, Gary and Christina Siders, and their parents, Gary Siders II and Elizabeth Siders, have been charged with child endangerment. Gary Siders II and Elizabeth Siders also face separate charges of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Experts and advocates describe the situation as a "persistent crisis" driven by underfunding and a lack of appropriate, affordable placements. Paid placement costs have surged 41% since 2020, with residential and group home care costs increasing by over 65%. While the state's share of spending on children services has grown to 20% over eight years, it remains below the national average of 42%. The family services department in Vinton County, the least populous county in Ohio, is struggling with an estimated $200 per child per day expense for the 16 Siders children now in foster care.
The discovery of the children's conditions was accidental, as law enforcement was at the property to serve arrest warrants on Gary Siders II and Elizabeth Siders for unrelated charges. The home where the children were found was described as dilapidated, and two children required transport to a level one trauma medical facility, with one placed in intensive care.
According to the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, county leaders are forced to choose between services for vulnerable children, public safety, seniors, and those with behavioral health needs. Despite Republicans broadly controlling Ohio's government for over 30 years, child death rates, lack of health insurance, and preschool enrollment for young children have risen, according to the Annie E Casey Foundation.
Reports from 2020 indicated that the Siders children suffered from high levels of lead, yet Republican lawmakers in Ohio subsequently cut funding for a lead abatement program. The Ohio Attorney General's office declined to comment on whether the state failed the Siders children, with search warrant materials sealed and a gag order in place. The Ohio Department of Children and Youth has initiated a review of the case to assess compliance and provide technical assistance.
Previous efforts to intervene appear to have been hampered by the family's mobility. In 2020, while living in Gallia County, a staff member reported desperate conditions, leading to court-ordered protective supervision. However, this requirement was terminated by May 2021, and the family moved. School officials later filed a complaint about habitual truancy, but authorities were unable to keep up with the family's movements, as they relocated to West Virginia before action could be taken. Elizabeth Siders' attorneys have requested a mental health evaluation for competency to stand trial.