Champaign County Job and Family Services is projecting an $81,000 deficit in the money it needs to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, following a change in how the federal government splits administrative costs.

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As of April 2026, 3,913 people in Champaign County received SNAP benefits, according to Ohio Jobs and Family Services. That is roughly 10% of the county’s population.

The new rules, which stem from the Big Beautiful Bill, took effect Oct. 1. Under the previous arrangement, the federal government covered 50% of administrative costs and local government covered the other 50%. The federal share has now dropped to 25%, leaving counties to pay 75%.

“50% of those costs were covered by federal government and then 50% was handled locally,” said Stacy Cox, director of Job and Family Services for Champaign County. “Effective Oct. 1, the federal cost share is dropping … so that original 50%, what we call match, has dropped down to 25%.”

Champaign County was allocated $88,690 through Ohio House Bill 730 for SNAP administration, but the department still expects to come up short on staffing costs.

Cox said participation remains above pre-pandemic levels even after federal emergency allotments ended. Between 2019 and 2025, the number of households accessing SNAP benefits rose by about 6.5%, and monthly issuance grew by about 54%, she said.

“Despite inflation and growing costs, we never recovered from that, and then now we’re having this additional cut specifically related to SNAP administration,” Cox said.

To absorb the shortfall, the department has left positions vacant and let one staff member go. Champaign County JFS currently has seven generic eligibility referral specialists who handle SNAP, Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families applications, along with three specialized eligibility referral specialists.

The federal rules also require states with an error rate of 6% or higher to pay a larger share of costs. Ohio’s error rate was 6.7% in federal fiscal year 2025 and improved to 5.54% by October 2026, but Cox said the federal government is expected to review the 2025 figures.

“Although it was over the threshold, I would say Ohio was doing very well because the national average at that time was 10.62%,” she said.

Cox warned that staffing shortages could create a cycle of problems. “When you don’t have the staff to administer the program, you’re prone to more errors,” she said. “You’re prone to delays in folks being able to become eligible in a timely fashion, which it just ends up being a domino effect.”

She said residents who rely on SNAP can still turn to local resources, including Caring Kitchen and Second Harvest Food Bank. The department also refers people to The Warehouse, churches, community organizations and OSU extension programs that offer food preservation and safety education and budget-friendly meal planning.

Source: WOSU — Original report

Wararka Af-Soomaaliga

Champaign County oo Wajahaysa Hoos-u-dhac $81,000 ah oo ku Yimid Maamulka SNAP

Waaxda Shaqada iyo Adeegyada Qoyska ee Champaign County, Ohio (Champaign County Job and Family Services) ayaa qiyaasaysa inuu soo food saari doono hoos-u-dhac miisaaniyadeed oo dhan $81,000, kaas oo ku aaddan kharashka ku baxa maaraynta barnaamijka gargaarka cuntada ee Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Hoos-u-dhacan ayaa yimid kadib markii xeerar cusub oo federaal ah oo ka dhashay sharciga Big Beautiful Bill ay dhaqangaleen 1-dii bishii Oktoobar. Xeerarkan ayaa si weyn wax uga beddelay nidaamkii lagu wadaagi jiray kharashaadka maamulka barnaamijka SNAP. Horey waxay dowladda federaalka iyo maamullada deegaanku kharashka shaqaalaha iyo hawlgalka ugu qaybsan jireen 50% iyo 50%, balse hadda qaybtii federaalka ayaa hoos loogu dhigay 25%, taas oo keentay in degmooyinka gobolku ay bixiyaan 75% kharashka.

Agaasimaha Champaign County Job and Family Services, Stacy Cox, ayaa xaqiijisay in saamigii dowladda dhexe uu hoos ugu dhacay 25%. Sida laga soo xigtay Ohio Jobs and Family Services, ilaa bishii Abriil ee sanadkan 2026, ku dhowaad 3,913 qof ayaa gargaarka cuntada ka heli jiray deegaanka Champaign County, taas oo u dhiganta ku dhowaad 10% tirada guud ee dadka ku nool degmadaas.

Inkasta oo Champaign County looga qoondeeyay lacag dhan $88,690 sharciga gobolka ee Ohio House Bill 730 si loogu maareeyo barnaamijka SNAP, haddana saraakiisha ayaa tilmaamay in lacagtaasi aysan ku filnayn kharashka shaqaalaha. Si culeyskaas loo xakameeyo, waaxdu waxay bannaan kaga tagtay jagooyin shaqo, waxaana shaqada laga fariisiyay hal qof oo shaqaale ahaa. Xafiiska ayaa hadda haysta todobo khabiir oo qaabilsan codsiyada guud ee SNAP, Medicaid iyo Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, iyo saddex khabiir oo gaar u ah arrimaha Medicaid iyo daryeelka muddada dheer.

Cox ayaa sheegtay in intii u dhaxaysay sanadkii 2019 ilaa 2025, qoysaska barnaamijka isticmaala ay kordheen 6.5%, halka lacagaha bishii la bixiyo ay kor u kaceen ilaa 54%. Xeerarka cusub ee federaalka ayaa sidoo kale dhigaya in gobolladii leh heer khaladaad (error rate) oo gaaraya ama ka badan 6% ay bixiyaan saami intaas ka sii ballaaran. Inkasta oo Ohio ay heerkeeda khaladka ka dhigtay 5.54% marka la gaaray Oktoobar 2026, iyadoo sanad-maaliyadeedkii federaalka ee 2025 uu ahaa 6.7%, haddana waxaa la filayaa in dowladda federaalku ay dib u eegto xogta sanadkii 2025. Heerka celceliska guud ee dalka Mareykanka ayaa xilligaas ahaa 10.62%.

Agaasime Cox waxay ka digtay in shaqaale-yaraanta ay horseedi karto khaladaad dheeraad ah iyo dib-u-dhac ku yimaada ansixinta dadka xaqa u leh gargaarka. Waxay intaas ku dartay in bulshada deegaanka ay weli heli karaan ilo kale oo gargaar ah sida hay’adaha Caring Kitchen, Second Harvest Food Bank, The Warehouse, kaniisadaha, iyo barnaamijyada waxbarashada ee OSU extension oo bixiya tababarro ku saabsan maaraynta cuntada iyo badbaadinteeda.

Xigasho: WOSU