Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Gain School Aid

Families in Ohio's Regions 9 and 10 caring for children affected by substance use can now receive help with school costs.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Substance Abuse

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a child's backpack on a wooden bench beside pencils, set against a soft rural Ohio horizon. — Area Agency on Aging District 7 received OneOhio Recovery Foundation grant funding to help grandparents raising grandchildren affected by substance use in Ohio's Regions 9 and 10 with school costs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Area Agency on Aging District 7 has been approved for grant funding from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation to support grandparents raising grandchildren affected by substance-use disorders in Ohio's Regions 9 and 10. The award is part of a $45.7 million round of regional grants distributed by the Foundation.

Why it matters

The grant targets a specific group of caregivers, grandparents raising children whose parents are dealing with substance-use disorders, and addresses costs such as school clothing, supplies, fees and activity equipment. It is the second round of regional grants from the Foundation, which draws its funding from the state's pharmaceutical opioid settlement.

The information comes from an official grant announcement describing the award and the Foundation's funding totals, rather than a clinical study. The announcement does not report outcome measures showing how the program affects children or caregivers.

The players

Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7)

A regional agency serving older adults and their families in south-central Ohio, which will administer the Pathways for Kinship Kids grant.

OneOhio Recovery Foundation

An Ohio foundation that distributes state opioid settlement funds to regional prevention, treatment and recovery efforts.

The details

Grant recipients are chosen through a locally driven review process that favors evidence-informed strategies, with decisions made by regional volunteers, the OneOhio Expert Panel and the Foundation's Board of Directors. The Pathways for Kinship Kids program supports grandparents raising grandchildren affected by substance-use disorders, and the funding will cover school clothing, supplies, fees, uniforms and extracurricular equipment. The money comes from 55 percent of the funds Ohio receives from pharmaceutical companies in connection with the opioid epidemic.

The inaugural grant cycle awarded over $45 million across 240 Ohio projects.
AAA7 was informed of its grant approval on November 6, 2026.

Health Landscape

Opioid settlement dollars are increasingly being routed to family-based supports, not only to treatment facilities, in Ohio. This grant shows how regional agencies are using settlement funds to address the household strain that follows the opioid epidemic.

If you are raising a grandchild affected by a family member's substance use, local aging agencies may be able to connect you with kinship support programs that help with everyday school costs. Ask your child's school or your local Area Agency on Aging about available family support services.

The takeaway

Support for families affected by addiction increasingly reaches beyond treatment to everyday needs like school supplies and activity fees. If you are a grandparent or relative raising children, ask your local Area Agency on Aging whether kinship support programs are available in your county.