Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Our next drive-through produce market is set for this Thursday, March 19! Free vegetables and fruits will be available starting at 4:30 p.m. outside our Early Childhood Education and Family Center, 2879 Johnstown Rd. This market is a partnership with the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and we welcome all.

Join us today at noon!

Did you know Franklin County offers vital resources for residents with developmental disabilities?

Join our Lunch & Learn to discover how services work, who qualifies, and how you can help connect residents to support.

🗓 March 17 | 12–1PM
📍 Live on Facebook

Bring your lunch and learn how we can build a more inclusive Franklin County together.

🔗 Watch here:
Facebook.com/FranklinCountyOfficeofEconomicEngagementandCommunityDevelopment

Never mind the weather...check out this indoor swim event!😊

Make a splash in a calm, welcoming space.

Join us for our Sensory Friendly Swim on March 22 from 5:30–7 p.m. at the Westerville Community Center. This free event is designed for individuals with disabilities and their families to enjoy the indoor pool in a comfortable environment—without the crowds.

Come swim, relax, and connect with community. Donations are welcome.

To register, email [email protected]

Thanks to everyone who joined us on Thursday at the Columbus Museum of Art for Franklin County DD Day! And a shout-out to our friends at ARC Voyagers for sharing some of their fun photos.

Are you a provider serving the Franklin County DD community? The Franklin County Provider Council wants to hear from you—and you could win a $50 gift card just by speaking up during this Friday’s online meeting!

The gift-card drawing is open to agency or independent waiver providers in Franklin County who attend the online meeting and ask a serious and relevant question (out loud, not via chat).

Join us:

* 10 a.m. Friday, March 13
* Zoom link: https://bit.ly/4lq4Pkr
* Meeting ID: 822 2455 0473
* Passcode: 550090

And congrats to last month’s winner, Donna of Community Living Experiences 😊

From pizzas to biscuits to s’mores, West Central students did lots of baking (and roasting) last week! Dishes duty is a little less fun, but hey, cleanup skills are important, too. We also sneaked in a quick field trip to Cabela’s and swung by the Woody Hayes athletic center. Fun times!

Our next drive-through produce market opens at 4:30 p.m. TODAY—Wednesday, March 11! Free vegetables and fruits will be available starting at 4:30 p.m. at our Early Childhood Learning Community, 4141 Rudy Rd., on the Northwest Side. (Rain or shine, so long as the weather isn't dangerous.)
This market, a partnership with the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, welcomes all. 😊

Reminder—Admission is FREE this Thursday for Franklin County DD Day at the Columbus Museum of Art! Join us and celebrate at our city’s wonderful art museum.

* Thursday, March 12
* 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
* Free admission for people with disabilities, their families and support providers
* Universal changing table available
* Questions? Call 614-342-5161 or email [email protected]
* General museum information: https://www.columbusmuseum.org

Are you a parent, family member or caregiver for someone who receives Franklin County DD services? We’d love to see you at our next Family Support meeting! Hosted by Superintendent/CEO Dot Yeager, these casual, online gatherings are a great way to connect, receive updates and offer feedback.
* 12 noon on Wednesday, March 11
* Zoom link: https://bit.ly/4siOZvf
* Meeting ID: 488 125 2353
* Passcode: fcbdd2020
* Phone-in: 1-929-205-6099

Thanks to Sheriff Baldwin for joining our Dr. Seuss Week Celebration! And we appreciate the sheriff’s good advice to his new junior deputies: “Just remember to be nice to each other,” he said. “It makes a better day.”

It was awesome to see the Ohio Statehouse atrium packed on Wednesday for DD Awareness & Advocacy Day! Advocates from Franklin County and throughout the state always do a great job making their voices heard. And this year they even got a little face time with Governor Mike DeWine!
Thanks to all the legislators who took part; bravo to the speakers.👏 And thanks to the Ohio Association of County Boards of DD for sharing photos.

Our West Central senior gals enjoyed a lovely field trip last week to Fairy Goodmothers for prom dresses! The all-volunteer nonprofit provides formal dresses, accessories and—even more important—a big confidence boost to so many central Ohio high school youth. (We’re not crying, you’re crying.) Oh, and students also did some job-skills work and squeezed in a visit to the Franklin Park Conservatory. A busy week is a happy week!