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Ohio will pay for some after school enrichment programs for those who qualify
With the cost of food, clothing, and gas still high affording summer camp and other opportunities for kids can be out of reach for many parents. But the state of Ohio is out with a program to change that.
Saturday, February 25th 2023, 7:14 PM EST
Updated:
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YOUNGSTOWN -
With the cost of food, clothing, and gas still high affording summer camp and other opportunities for kids can be out of reach for many parents.
But the state of Ohio is out with a program to change that.
Signing your child up for the Ohio ACE Afterschool Child Enrichment program can open doors to opportunities for school age children that many parents can't afford with inflation effecting costs of every day living.
Qualifying Families can receive $500 per child to pay for programs with Qualified Educational Service Providers.
"Language classes, tutoring, after school activities, instrument lessons, trips, and field trips. It can help pay for you name it, anything surrounding education and making your student a well rounded individual," Youngstown Councilman Julius Oliver said.
State Representative Lauren McNally and Youngstown councilman Julius Oliver brought folks form the Ohio Department of Education to Choffin Center to help parents open an account.
After approved, parents can use the same portal to sign their children up with a participating vendor.
The money from the state will be paid directly to that vendor for your child to take part.
"The one I am signing up for the program is a theater art kid. He wants to take acting classes, so we are going to use the ACE funds for that," T. Rodney Ollie said.
State Representative Lauren McNally says kids eligible will soon expand in this statewide program.
"Come April sixth anybody living in a school district that is an EdChoice school district, which is the entire city of Youngstown, there's no income qualification
for that just that residency piece," State Representative McNally emphasized.
"Anyone who falls below the 400 percentage of the Federal Poverty line which is middle class America, so a family of 6 making $150,000 a year qualifies for this program if they live outside an EdChoice district," McNally added.
An Educational Choice or EdChoice in Ohio is a district that has chronically low performing schools that allow they to receive vouchers to attend a participating private school.
McNally and Oliver say they plan to have help at other events for parents or guardians to sign up.
Parents and guardians can also sign up for the program through logging on education.ohio.gov/OhioAce by following the prompts and filling out your information.
