Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities: a plain language guide
The Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities, often called FCBDD or the county board, is the public agency that helps children and adults with developmental disabilities who live in Franklin County, Ohio. This guide explains how it works in plain language.
Franklin County Family Supports is an independent guide. We are not part of FCBDD or the State of Ohio. For decisions about your services, always check with the county board or your Service Coordinator.
What the county board does
- Decides who is eligible for county board services.
- Assigns a Service Coordinator, also called a Service and Support Administrator (SSA), to each person.
- Helps build a yearly Individual Service Plan (ISP).
- Manages waiting lists for Ohio's developmental disability waivers.
- Runs early childhood programs, Special Olympics and recreation, and family resources such as respite.
- Takes reports of abuse, neglect, and other major unusual incidents, 24 hours a day.
Who qualifies
Services are for Franklin County residents of any age who have a developmental disability under Ohio's rules. In short, the disability started before age 22, is likely to last, and is not caused only by mental illness.
- Under age 3: at least one developmental delay.
- Age 3 to 5: at least two developmental delays.
- Age 6 and older: a major limit in at least three areas of daily life, such as self care, language, learning, mobility, self direction, or living on your own.
Conditions such as intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and brain injury can qualify. The Intake Office may ask for records and may use an assessment called the Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (OEDI).
How to apply
For a child under age 3, start with Help Me Grow, not the county board. Call 1-800-755-4769 (1-800-755-GROW). Help Me Grow decides if an evaluation is needed and can refer your family to the county board.
For anyone age 3 or older, contact the FCBDD Intake Office:
- Call 614-342-5490.
- Or fill out the online prescreen form on the FCBDD website.
- Office address: 1600 Watermark Dr., Columbus, OH 43215.
After Intake gets your basic information, staff review it and contact you for more details or to set up a face to face meeting.
What to have ready
FCBDD publishes a list of the documents it accepts to confirm a diagnosis. Ask Intake which ones apply to you. It also helps to gather:
- Any diagnosis letters, evaluations, or school records, such as an IEP or ETR.
- Doctor and therapist names and phone numbers.
- A short list of what help is needed most right now.
What happens after you are eligible
- You are assigned a Service Coordinator, your main contact at the county board.
- Your Service Coordinator assesses needs and writes an Individual Service Plan with you at least once a year.
- You choose providers for the services in your plan. You can pick any qualified provider that is willing to serve you.
- Your Service Coordinator sets up the plan with the provider and a start date.
About waiting lists
FCBDD has a waiting list for all waivers. People are served in order by the date they joined the list and their priority status. People who meet priority or emergency rules may be served sooner. Ask your Service Coordinator where you are on the list and what other help you can get while you wait.
Phone numbers
- Intake (new applications): 614-342-5490
- Service Coordination and 24 hour emergency line: 614-464-2743
- Report a major unusual incident, 24 hours: 614-464-2743
- Family Resources (respite): 614-844-5847
- Transportation Services: 614-475-5910
- Special Olympics and Recreation: 614-342-5989
- Main office and all other departments: 614-475-6440, 2879 Johnstown Rd., Columbus, OH 43219
Questions to ask at your first meeting
- What services can we get now, while we wait for a waiver?
- How do I get on the waiting list, and how do I check our place?
- Who is our Service Coordinator, and how do we reach them?
- How do we choose providers, and can you share the Ohio provider search?
- What should we do in an emergency after hours?
Phone numbers and steps were checked against the FCBDD website on October 26, 2026. They can change, so confirm with the county board.