Op-Ed: Stronger Families Key to Breaking Addiction Cycle in Ohio
On Sunday, April 20, 2025, The Enquirer (Cincinnati) published the op-ed below by OneOhio Board Member and State Representative Rachel Baker. In it, she emphasizes that strengthening family support systems is essential to breaking the cycle of addiction and highlights OneOhio grant investments focused on supporting these critical areas.
Stronger Families Key to Breaking Addiction Cycle in Ohio
Ohio has made meaningful strides in addressing the addiction crisis but the battle is far from over. Across our state, we continue to face staggering rates of substance use disorders, overdose deaths and drug-related trauma that devastate families and communities alike. The ripple effects are profound: children growing up in unstable homes, rising placements in the foster care system, and families torn apart.
As a nurse researcher, state legislator and court-appointed special advocate for children experiencing abuse and neglect, I witness firsthand how addiction infiltrates every facet of a person's life and how deeply it impacts the entire family. I've seen the heartbreak, but I've also seen the hope that emerges when we invest in solutions that work. If we want to break the generational cycle of addiction, we must support the people and programs doing the hard, transformational work in our communities.
That's why I'm proud to serve on the board of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, which is responsible for managing 55% of the funds our state receives from opioid settlements. These funds secured from pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors held accountable for their role in this crisis represent a historic opportunity to rebuild and heal.
In 2024, the foundation awarded its first round of funding: more than $45 million in grants statewide, including $4.4 million here in Hamilton County. These funds are being directed to organizations that are not only addressing addiction, but also preventing it, treating it, and walking with people in recovery as they work to rebuild their lives. I am honored to serve as one of the legislative appointees on the board and help guide these critical investments statewide.
The Foundation's approach is both comprehensive and community-driven. Every grant is evaluated through a rigorous, transparent review process involving independent experts and local stakeholders. This helps ensure that funds go where they are needed most and where they will have the greatest impact. From treatment centers and schools to grassroots prevention initiatives, the foundation is helping communities lead the way toward recovery and healing.
As someone immersed in healthcare research, I know that addiction doesn't occur in a vacuum. It affects the entire family system. Children growing up with a parent struggling with substance use disorder often experience trauma, instability and an increased risk of future substance misuse themselves. That's why I'm especially proud of the local programs receiving OneOhio funding they target both today's challenges and tomorrow's potential.
For example, First Step Home, an addiction treatment center for women in Walnut Hills, received a $500,000 grant to expand residential treatment beds at its Maternal Addiction Recovery Center. What makes this program so powerful is its model of care: Mothers and their children remain together throughout treatment. This eliminates a significant barrier to recovery and supports both healing and family preservation.
Another standout recipient is Learning Grove, whose "Building Resilient Kids" project was awarded $193,000 to provide early childhood prevention services for children ages 0-5 affected by parental substance use. By focusing on social-emotional development and resilience, Learning Grove is working to reduce the long-term impacts of trauma and give kids a strong foundation for future success.
Our schools are on the front lines, too. That's why MindPeace was awarded $279,000 to embed mental health professionals in schools and train educators to recognize and respond to student mental health needs particularly those related to addiction in the family. These supports can be life-changing for a child facing emotional turmoil.
Even smaller grants are making a big difference. Glad House, a trusted community resource, received $15,000 to continue its no-cost after-school and summer programs for children ages 5-12 impacted by parental addiction. These programs offer mental health treatment, prevention education, homework help and social activities all in a safe, supportive environment.
Together, these grants and the larger vision behind them are an investment in healing families, stabilizing neighborhoods, and preventing future substance use disorders. The impact of this first round of OneOhio Recovery Foundation funding is already being felt, not only in treatment centers and classrooms but in the lives of children who are being given a real chance at a brighter, healthier future.
Ohio still has a long road ahead in this fight. But by putting resources into the hands of those doing the work on the ground, we are moving toward lasting change one family, one child and one community at a time.
Rachel Baker represents Ohio's 27th District in the Ohio House of Representatives and serves as a board member of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation. She is a nurse researcher and a court-appointed special advocate for children experiencing abuse and neglect.
