DODD to Replace the ODDP: Could This End the Ohio Parent Penalty?

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) has announced that it will replace the outdated Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile (ODDP) with a new assessment tool: the interRAI.

This is big news, especially for families affected by the Ohio Parent Penalty, a policy baked into the current ODDP scoring algorithm that reduces funding based solely on who a person lives with.

A quick refresher: What Is the Ohio Parent Penalty?

The ODDP determines an individual’s service funding level using just 13 of its 49 questions, and it gives outsized weight to the person’s living arrangement. Specifically:

• If the individual lives with family, they receive a lower funding score than if they live with non-relatives.

• If a family member is also the Ohio Shared Living provider, that worker receives a reduced daily pay rate simply because they are a relative.

Click here for an animated explanation of the Ohio Parent Penalty. Note: This video was made prior to the budget increases of 2024, so the dollar amounts in the video are lower than what they would be in 2025; however, the Ohio Parent Penalty remains the same.

The Ohio Parent Penalty has real consequences. A person can drop from a score of 5 to a 2, triggering a dramatic funding cut, just by moving in with a parent or sibling! It’s the same person with the same support needs, but with drastically lower funding just because they live with mom instead of with a friend or stranger. That’s the Ohio Parent Penalty in action. About two-thirds of Ohioans with developmental disabilities live with family caregivers, so this affects thousands of Ohio households. Even DODD itself now admits that the ODDP’s scoring is “too sensitive” to these factors in its explanation video.

So what is interRAI?

interRAI is a suite of evidence-based assessment instruments used internationally in health and disability systems to evaluate people’s needs. Unlike the ODDP, a made-up test that relies on just a handful of heavily weighted questions, interRAI assessments are:

• Comprehensive, covering a broad range of support needs

• Standardized and validated

If implemented well, interRAI has the potential to shift Ohio away from simplistic and biased scoring and toward a more accurate picture of actual support needs.

Will interRAI end the Ohio Parent Penalty?

That remains to be seen. So far, DODD has not shared how Ohio’s implementation of interRAI will be scored or weighted. While interRAI itself is a solid, research-backed tool, scoring algorithms can still be customized, or county board employees could fudge answers.

We’ll be watching closely to see whether DODD builds a more equitable funding model or simply transfers the tired old anti-family biases into a new system.

What about the SIS-A?

Originally, there was a rumor going around that DODD would be switching to the SIS-A (Supports Intensity Scale–Adult). DODD has now made clear that they are moving forward with interRAI, not SIS-A. The state of Iowa also recently changed from the SIS-A to the interRAI.

What happens next?

DODD has stated that rules and procedures for the new assessment system will be rolled out over time. Family caregivers and advocates should use this time to:

• Request transparency about how the new scoring system will work

• Insist on public input before final decisions are made

• Monitor closely whether living with a relative will still lower funding and services

• Push for fair, person-centered support funding, regardless of where someone lives or the identity of the person working as the caregiver

Final thoughts

A new assessment system is a major opportunity. If interRAI is implemented with integrity, Ohio could finally end the Ohio Parent Penalty and move toward fairer, needs-based funding.

But it’s not automatic. It will take continued advocacy to ensure that families aren’t penalized for doing the work Ohio’s system depends on.