Not missing a beat on the day of his inauguration, Gov. Mike DeWine signed six executive orders that change policy and how state government operates.

Broadly speaking, the orders seek to protect Ohio's most vulnerable or often-ignored populations -- such as children and disabled and transgender people.

Read on to learn more.

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RecoveryOhio

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(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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DeWine's first order creates the Governor's RecoveryOhio Initiative and a director of that initiative, who he earlier announced is Alisha Nelson.

Opioid overdose deaths are killing 13 or 14 people a day, the executive order states.

DeWine’s executive order states substance abuse and mental health issues are divided among several state agencies and “have lacked coordination and a clear point of accountability.”

As the state’s opioid czar, Nelson will hire staff and implement programs to enhance substance abuse and mental health prevention, treatment and recovery. She will reach out to people in the private sector involved in drug and mental health treatment to “align efforts to do the most good” for Ohioans struggling with these problems. She also will initiate and guide efforts to improve treatment and patient outcomes.

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Children's Initiative

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(Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)

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The second order DeWine signed after he was sworn in creates the Governor's Children's Initiative to elevate the importance of children's programs in Ohio.

DeWine's order acknowledges Ohio has an infant mortality rate that is higher than the national average; more than half of Ohio children are from economically disadvantaged homes; 41 percent enter kindergarten without the language, social and math skills to be successful; and research shows every dollar invested in high-quality, early-childhood education yields up to $9 in future returns.

The director will oversee efforts across different state agencies, which lacked one person tying together all the work for children. The director will advance policies improving home visits, early intervention services, early childhood education, foster care and children’s physical and mental health.

DeWine previously named LeeAnne Cornyn as director.

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Disability inclusion

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(Joe Songer/AL.com)

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DeWine's third executive order designates Ohio as a disability inclusion state and states that it will be a model employer of individuals with disabilities.

About 1.6 million Ohioans have a disability, including 870,000 who are working age. However, the rate at which disabled people are able to work is lower than the non-disabled public. DeWine wants that to change, to make the state a diverse and inclusive employer.

His order creates a state Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator to educate state agencies about disability law and rights. Agencies must review hiring practices for any barriers and remove them. State employees will participate in regular training on disability etiquette and awareness and how to create a culture of inclusion.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is to develop applications to match private-sector employers and disabled Ohioans on OhioMeansJobs.com.

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Foster care

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(Tim Dominick/The State via AP)

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DeWine ordered that the Ohio Office of Families and Children, which supervises the state’s foster care system, report directly to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The office is within JFS but hasn’t directly reported to the director before.

DeWine's fourth executive order noted that more than 15,000 kids were in the system last year, many due to parents with substance abuse problems, and Ohio lacks enough adequate foster homes to care for them. The order notes the high rate of case workers quitting their jobs.

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Anti-discrimination in state government

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John Stillwell/PA via AP

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DeWine's fifth executive order is being celebrated by the state's LGBTQ community. DeWine's order prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, promotion, demotion and other job actions on a number of factors – such as the traditionally protected age, race, religion, military service and others – as well as sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, for pregnancy and parents of foster kids or young children.

The order applies to state employment.

New are the parent and pregnancy protections.

Last month, Gov. John Kasich re-inserted "gender identity and expression" to Ohio's anti-discrimination policy, after having removed it 2011. DeWine didn't begin his governorship in the same way, choosing to protect transgender Ohioans from the beginning -- saying in the order the best way to attract and retain talented employees is to ensure people can feel like they have a shot at employment and promotion based on their "skill, dedication, merit and fitness for the job."

Sen. Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat who is the state’s only openly gay lawmaker, praised the move. She has sponsored bills protecting LGBTQ Ohioans in the private sector, but the Ohio General Assembly hasn’t passed them. She said she'll sponsor another bill in the 133rd General Assembly.

“This is a family-friendly employment policy,” she said. “I firmly believe that this anti-discrimination policy should serve as a model for all employers in the state of Ohio.”

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Prevention of mental health, drug addiction issues

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(PETER R. REKUS, The Patriot News)

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DeWine's sixth executive order aims to elevate the importance of prevention. It notes that children whose parents are lost in drug abuse experience trauma and are more likely to become addicts themselves.

The order requires the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services director to create a senior-level position to lead the Prevention Services Bureau, focused on age- and environmentally appropriate prevention education in K-12.

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