Wadsworth, Ohio

Ohio's House Bill 25 has been substantially reworked. Originally introduced as a $15 million Foster-to-College Scholarship Program, the bipartisan bill sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells and Sharon Ray was rewritten after five committee hearings into a K-12 support system called the Fostering School Success Act. The scholarship funding and dedicated college navigators were dropped entirely. The revised bill passed the House in March and has had two hearings in the Senate Education Committee without opponent testimony.

The new version would require every Ohio school district to designate a foster care education liaison and every school building to have a foster family navigator, aimed at reducing disruptions when foster children change schools. It also codifies independent-living preparation duties for foster agencies. Critics note the bill adds responsibilities without additional pay for staff. Sponsors say the original scholarship idea, which was also excluded from the state's 2025-26 budget, remains alive separately through Senate Bill 13.