T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Jack Regis Jr., financial director with the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services, on Tuesday reports the agency is taking applications for the School Clothes 4 Kids Program to help needy area children start the school year with new clothes. Belmont County Commissioner Jerry Echemann and others observe.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County school children in need of some help will be heading back to school with new clothes this fall as the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services kicks off the School Clothes 4 Kids program.

On Tuesday, Jack Regis, finance director with DJFS, reported on the program’s progress this year. They have begun taking applications as of Monday.

Regis said applications, guidelines and general eligibility standards are all posted on the agency website, belmontcdjfs.com. Applicants should turn in their last 30 days of gross household income to expedite eligibility determination.

“We have a very short window this year between applications and the shopping days, which are Aug. 15-17 at the Ohio Valley Mall,” he said.

The deadline to submit an application is 4:30 p.m. on July 25.

The program uses funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and is available for children at or below 150 percent of federal poverty levels.

The School Clothes for Kids Program is open to children kindergarten through 12th grade. Homeschooled and online schooled children are not available. Neither are preschoolers. Children must be at least five years old and no older than 18 at the time of application.

“This will be the ninth year for the program. It started back in 2015,” he said. Regis said between the school clothes program and the kinship program for families who take relatives through placement by Children’s Services division, the agency has spent $5.4 million of federal dollars at the Ohio Valley Mall. He added 7.25 percent of that is tax money that comes back to the state.

“We clothe approximately 2,000 kids between the two programs every year, new clothes before school starts and other supplies that families need to prepare these children. It’s a very worthwhile program, it’s truly a labor of love. Our staff does an excellent job managing this program.”

He said the agency will be taking applications for the next two weeks and expects to determine eligible for close to 1000 families during the next five weeks.

“Usually about 800 of those are eligible for this program,” he said. “It’s quite an undertaking and it can be stressful at times, but they do an excellent job and we wouldn’t be able to do this program without the support of the commissioners as well as our staff and the staff of the Ohio Valley Mall.”

Regis said the need has remained consistent as more children graduate and are no longer eligible for the program and others enter kindergarten.

Commissioner J.P. Dutton also commended Regis and the staff’s work in handling finances and maximizing available dollars for the program.

“All of us up here can’t say enough about how well-run this program is. It goes for a very good purpose. It allows the children of Belmont County to get off the school year with a little bit better start than they would have otherwise,” Dutton said.

They mentioned another TANF-funded program in conjunction with the Belmont County Farm Bureau provides backpacks of food for children to eat during the weekends and summer months.

Regis said the county’s support of the backpack program. Dutton said the program has expanded its reach among schools.

“Our staff has been out there to pack these backpacks at certain points,” Dutton said.

Commissioner Jerry Echemann agreed.

“I know that you guys work with families who are right on the edge of qualifying,” he said. “I know you do your best for those families.”

Regis said the Belmont County Community Action Commission has been helpful in working with families that are slightly over the income guidelines.

“They’ve been able to provide funding for those families,” Regis said. “We certainly appreciate their support of this program as well.”

He said guidelines are based on gross household income for the previous 30 days.

DJFS has offices at 68145 Hammond Road in St. Clairsville and at 302 Walnut St., Martins Ferry.