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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for April 3, 2017
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Association Updates
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month – Wear Blue April 12!
PCSAs will be marking Child Abuse Prevention Month throughout April with awareness events, and they’re promoting Wear Blue on April 12. Wear Blue information is available at www.pcsao.org/programs/wear-blue and photos can be posted to local agency Facebook pages and/or to the state page at www.facebook.com/WearBlueOhio/. Be sure to use the hashtag #OhioWearsBlue. The Ohio Children’s Trust Fund hosted a kickoff event Friday that featured Franklin County Children Services and the message that “Every 30 minutes one child is abused or neglected in Ohio.” The theme and hashtag #inthenext30minutes is being used throughout the month to raise awareness. Learn more at www.next30.org. These free national tools can support your promotional, outreach, and social media activities. Learn more.
New Execs Orientation registration still open
Only a couple spots are left in the April 24-25 New Executives Orientation. The two-day session in Columbus will include an introduction to child protection legal, fiscal, management, and outcomes issues, along with sessions devoted to advocacy, training, and communications. The training is open to PCSA directors and senior staff. Contact Scott@pcsao.org to register.
Immigration webinar offers insight into child welfare role with foreign nationals
Monica L. Dorman of Dorman Law in Columbus offered a two-hour webinar, “When Immigration and Child Welfare Intersect,” on Friday. Part of the PCSAO 2017 Executive Distance Learning Series, the webinar was targeted to agency directors, senior staff, and legal counsel to help better understand issues of status, documentation, and procedure. Many thanks to Monica for preparing and delivering the webinar; Monica works on immigration issues with Franklin County Children Services as part of her immigration law practice. The webinar recording and slide deck will be available in the members-only section of pcsao.org. Helpful guidance and forms can be obtained at www.saveimmigrantfamiliesusa.com/. (The site is under construction, but the forms page is available.)
PCSAO staff join ridealong with caseworkers
Many thanks to Fairfield County Protective Services for arranging a ridealong with caseworkers for PCSAO intern Alex Fuchsman and staff member Scott Britton. Giving Association staff and interns the opportunity to shadow caseworkers in the field is critical to helping us do our jobs better. Alex and Scott were able to see initiations in both AR and TR pathways, witness how caseworkers’ schedules change quickly as priorities rise to the top, attend court proceedings, and conduct home visits on a variety of cases. Caseworkers Jackie, Cherie, and the many others who welcomed and interacted with us throughout the day were smart, dedicated, and tireless! Caseworkers are so seldom recognized for the outstanding and selfless work they do to protect children and stabilize families every day. We salute you for that work, and thank you for the opportunity to see you in action.
Call for Presenters
The 2017 PCSAO Conference will be Sept. 27-29 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Columbus. The theme is “Everyday Heroes,” inspired by children services caseworkers and others who dedicate their careers to protecting children and strengthening families. We are seeking presenters who offer insight, strategies, and hands-on resource materials. We are looking for workshops designed to share best practices and successful strategies that will empower our “everyday heroes.” The conference is an outstanding opportunity for you to make a valuable contribution to the advancement of child protection practice in Ohio. We invite you to submit a proposal to present at the conference. The deadline for submission is May 1. Download Call for Presenters. More about the 2017 PCSAO Conference.
2017 PCSAO Award Nominations
At our Annual Conference, PCSAO recognizes the achievements of PCSA supervisors, caseworkers, and support staff, as well as local journalists whose work has made extraordinary contributions toward promoting safe children, stable families and supportive communities. PCSAO also celebrates children/youth and families who have been served by Ohio’s public children services agencies. We are inviting all 85 PCSAs to nominate their outstanding staff and rising stars. The deadline for our award nominations is June 15. Download the award nomination forms: Professional Awards and Youth and Family Awards.
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Announcements and Resources
Early childhood mental health conference “Skills to Action”
Registration for the 2017 Early Childhood Mental Health "Skills to Action" Conference is open now. The conference will be held April 19-20 at the Marriott Columbus Airport Hotel. The conference will showcase the talents of the ECMH Master Trainers and spotlight the work to support Ohio’s youngest children through the Whole Child Matters Initiative. Plenary speakers include Dr. Neal Horn, Georgetown University National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health, and Dr. Judith Romano, Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement of Media and Young Minds. Workshops will spotlight many local and national subject matter experts. Learn more.
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Child Protection in the News
- March 31 – Taking its toll: Drug abuse affects local families – The Marion Star
The heroin epidemic continues to take a devastating toll on families in Ohio. Unfortunately, in Marion County, as in other communities, children are sometimes forgotten in the midst of the crisis, unintended victims of neglect and abuse by parents or other family members addicted to illicit drugs.
- March 31 – Letter: State must attack opioid crisis – The Columbus Dispatch
The drug epidemic is an existential threat to our state. Opioid abuse has infiltrated our communities and has driven them to extreme lengths to combat this problem.
- March 29 – Grandparents, caretaker relatives of opioid orphans pushing for more support from the state – The Columbus Dispatch
A group of Lorain County grandparents and other relatives forced to take over custody of children affected by the heroin epidemic in Ohio are pushing for increased support from the state.
- March 29 – Local woman organizes fifth march against child abuse – Newark Advocate
For a fifth year, Renee Steele has organized a local Million March Against Child Abuse event to help raise awareness about this issue, which she said is very personal to her.
- March 27 – Across Ohio, children are calling 911 to report overdoses – Dayton Daily News
The Dayton girl’s call is the latest episode of children begging Ohio dispatchers for help following an apparent overdose — a tragic, reoccurring phenomenon as the heroin and opioid crisis grips the state and the nation.
- March 27 – More Ohio newborns suffer from mother’s addiction – The Columbus Dispatch
The number of Ohio babies who come into the world sick and craving drugs continues to soar.
- March 27 – New pilot program – Postsmouth Daily Times
Several southern and central Ohio counties stand to benefit from a new $3.5 million pilot program established by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. The program is designed to serve families harmed by parental opioid abuse in more than a dozen southern Ohio counties, including Pike, Jackson, Athens, Clermont, Clinton, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Perry, Pickaway, Hocking, Ross and Vinton.
- March 24 – Ohio launches $3.5M program to help children of opioid addict – Becker’s Hospital Review
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the launch of a pilot program to help families damaged by parental opioid abuse on Wednesday. The START program — Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma — will provide families dealing with parental opioid abuse access to services like intensive trauma counseling for children and drug treatment for parents.
- March 24 – Rx to better help children harmed by opioid scourge – Youngstown Vindicator
Good news and bad news flowed directly out of Columbus this week about the war on opiate abuse and its destructive and anguishing impact on children and families.
- March 23 – Some of the youngest opioid victims are curious toddlers – The Associated Press
Curious toddlers find the drugs in a mother’s purse or accidentally dropped on the floor. Sometimes a parent fails to secure the child-resistant cap on a bottle of painkillers.
- March 23 – Perry County taking part in START Program – WHIZ
Perry, Fairfield and Athens counties are among fourteen Ohio counties targeted for a new $3.6m program launched by Ohio’s Attorney General. Mike DeWine announced the START program Wednesday.
- March 23 – Drug addiction drives spike in Ohio foster care – The Newark Advocate
In the fight against opioid addiction in Ohio, children are the “innocent, invisible victims.” So said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on Wednesday when he announced a pilot program that will help children abused or neglected due to their parents’ drug use.
- March 22 – 14 Ohio counties to receive $3.6M for child services programs strained by opioid epidemic – Cleveland.com
Fourteen southern Ohio counties will receive $3.6 million to boost child welfare programs strained by the state's opioid epidemic. The pilot program will cover trauma counseling, additional home visits and other victim services to families hurt by Ohio's drug crisis over the next two and a half years.
- March 22 – Ohio attorney general program to help children of addicts – Huntington Herald Dispatch
Children hurt by their parents' addictions to painkillers and heroin will get help under a pilot program announced Wednesday targeting 14 southern Ohio counties hit hard by the state's opiate epidemic.
- March 22 – Kids of Ohio addicts focus of DeWine’s pilot program – Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
In the fight against opioid addiction in Ohio, children are the "innocent, invisible victims."
So said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on Wednesday when he announced a pilot program that will help children abused or neglected due to their parents' drug use.
- March 22 – State money will help children victimized by drug crisis – The Columbus Dispatch
Public child-welfare agencies in more than a dozen southern Ohio counties overwhelmed by the state's drug crisis are set to try a new intervention program that combines treatment for parents and specialized victim services for their children.
- March 22 – Franklin County hosts Opiate Crisis Summit to help tackle epidemic – NBC4i.com
Shocking stats were read off at the Franklin County Opiate Crisis Summit on Wednesday. Two people die every day due to the opiate epidemic according to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, and Ohio was listed 4th in the nation for highest deadly overdoses.
- March 22 – Pilot program helps families harmed by parental opioid abuse – Norwalk Reflector
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today the creation of a new pilot program that will serve families harmed by parental opioid abuse in more than a dozen southern Ohio counties.
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April 5 I Broad of Trustees Meeting
April 5
I Human Resources Boot Camp
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"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." — Nelson Mandela
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
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