Report: Ohio to give $1 million for 16 abused children, and the money might be the first payment

The Ohio government will give $1 million in tax dollars to help Vinton County care for the 16 children who were allegedly found abused in a Vinton County house.

State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, and state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, told The Columbus Dispatch that the Ohio Controlling Board will likely approve the emergency money at its meeting on July 13.

Authorities found the children on June 30 accidentally as they were searching the home as part of an unrelated case. All 16 children, who range in age between 18 months and 18 years, required medical attention, with two children needing to be flown to the nearest hospital due to their critical conditions.

Gary Siders Jr., 36; Gary Siders Sr., 73; Christina “Lynn” Sider, 67; and Elizabeth Siders, 33, the adults who abused the children, are facing 16 counts of felony child endangerment charges, with all of them pleading not guilty. They also waived their preliminary hearings on Tuesday, right before they were scheduled to appear in court.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said during the press conference after discovering the children inside the house that “justice will be served.”

It was also later revealed that there were two additional children, thoracopagus twins, joined at the chest, who died naturally and were reportedly the siblings of the 16 abused children.

Cirino told The Columbus Dispatch that the state will give the money to the South Central Ohio Job and Family Services to benefit the children. The agency provides foster care and child welfare services for several counties, including Vinton, according to its official website.

“That is just the worst case I’ve ever heard,” Cirino told the Columbus newspaper.

SCOJFS previously clarified in its Facebook post that it does not request donations from anyone, while expressing appreciation for all people who wanted to help the abused children.

“The outpouring of love and support for the situation in the Vinton County community has been truly overwhelming, and we are incredibly grateful to our community and individuals from across the state for wanting to help,” the organization wrote.

Stewart told The Columbus Dispatch that the $1 million might be just the first payment, adding that it is not yet fully confirmed.

The children’s uncle, Ronnie Fletcher, told News Nation that his family was “horrified” when they heard the recent news, adding that they were “worried about the kids.”

“It’s hard to explain the action when you’re distant family,” he told the news source. “We didn’t know this was that way. We would have helped.”