Athens County Ohio DJFS Office

Hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Mon-Fri

The Food Assistance program was designed to promote the general welfare and to safeguard the health and well-being of individuals by raising the levels of nutrition among low-income households by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To be eligible, income must meet federal Guidelines. In Ohio, Food Assistance benefits are issued by using the Ohio Direction Card, an electronic debit card.

The Food Assistance program is based upon the \"Thrifty Food Plan\" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The plan is based on the diet required to feed a family of four consisting of a man and woman age 20 through 50, a child 6-8, and a child 9-11. This amount is determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. The cost of this diet is the basis for allotments for all assistance groups regardless of their actual composition.

Medicaid is a state and federally funded health program for certain low-income and medically vulnerable people. As an entitlement program, those who meet eligibility requirements are guaranteed coverage through the Medicaid program. In Ohio, Medicaid is administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) via 88 local county department of job and family services.

Child care assistance is provided on a sliding fee scale; and based on household income and eligibility guidelines.

EBT is the US government\s electronic based system in the US for payment of monies to those approved for food and cash benefit payments.

Check EBT Card Balance
States have their methods to log in and check your ETB balance online. We provide that information on our state pages.

Apply for EBT Card
Most states allow online applications for EBT Cards through the application for Food Stamps (SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or cash benefits through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). We provided this local office contact for those who want to apply for their EBT in person at this office. After applying for your benefits you will most likely need to come in for an interview at this or another local social service office.