WOODSFIELD – Monroe County has secured more than $30,000 in funding to aid local families dealing with developmental disabilities.

Helen Ring, superintendent of the Monroe County Board of Developmental Disabilities, said the county has secured a $34,000 grant for Early Intervention Service Coordination through the state.

Early Intervention is a statewide program that provides coordinated services to parents of young children with disabilities, Ring said.

“The Early Intervention Service Coordination program coordinates services for children and families for early intervention; infants and toddlers and families who are at risk of developmental disabilities,” she said.

Ring met with the Monroe County Commissioners Carl Davis, Mick Schumacher and Tim Price to discuss the services and sign an agreement with the county to provide the services during Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting. The commissioners are the administrative agent for the grant funding.

Davis said the program was previously administered through the Noble County Health Department but is now being brought back to Monroe County and administered through the board of developmental disabilities.

Ring said the county helps between 15-20 families through the program each year.

The country is currently accepting program referrals for children aged birth to three years old when the child has a developmental delay. Referrals can be made through the Ohio Early Intervention website at www.ohioearlyintervention.org or by calling 1-800-755-4769.

In other county news, commissioners unanimously signed a resolution declaring the necessity to levy a tax in excess of the ten-mil limitation.

“The soil and water levy, it’s a renewal of the levy that’s in place now,” Davis said.

The rate will not exceed two-tenths mill for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to 2 cents for each $100 of valuations for a period of five years, according to the resolution.

The possible raise in taxes will benefit the construction and maintenance of improvements of the Monroe Soil and Water Conservation District’s programs. The proposed levy renewal will be placed on the November ballot.