Vinton County child case strains local resources and foster care system

The removal of 16 children from a home on Ohmer Street in Hamden has turned into a countywide strain, forcing Vinton County to line up foster placements, medical care and courtroom support in a place with just 415 square miles, one traffic light and a single grocery store.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said investigators executed court-authorized search warrants at about 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, and found the children inside the residence. The children ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years old. Some were taken to local hospitals and treated and released, while others needed higher-level care and remained hospitalized in serious condition. One 18-year-old with developmental disabilities could not write her name.

Prosecutors and child welfare workers now have to secure placements, pay for treatment, arrange counseling and manage long-term supervision for children who may need foster care after their medical care is complete. State Rep. Mark Johnson asked Gov. Mike DeWine for emergency financial assistance to cover foster care, medical treatment, behavioral health services, counseling and other expenses not covered by Medicaid. Vinton County’s child welfare system is served by a consolidated agency with Hocking and Ross counties.

Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer warned that the medical care needed for one defendant alone could have bankrupted the county. The court responded by changing the grandfather’s bond so he could receive treatment without forcing the county to front the cost. Four adults, Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders, were arrested, pleaded not guilty and were held on $300,000 bond each. Court records also showed an unrelated misdemeanor indecent exposure warrant for Gary Siders Jr. on the same day.

The Siders family had lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008 and largely avoided establishing medical and other government records during that time. The children were not enrolled in school, and the family moved frequently over the past two decades. The Vinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are handling the case with help from the Hamden Fire Department, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, South Central Ohio Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. State authorities are also reviewing child welfare agency records for any earlier reports involving the family.