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A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
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Weekly Update for June 12, 2017
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Association Updates
Call for award nominations
The deadline for the 2017 PCSAO award nominations has been extended to next Friday, June 23. Every year, we celebrate stars and champions at the PCSAO annual conference. The theme for this year’s conference is “Everyday Heroes,” inspired by children services caseworkers and others who dedicate their career and life to protecting children, strengthening families and advocating on their behalf. PCSAO is inviting all public children services agencies to submit award nominations. The award categories include:
- Rising Up and Moving On (youth)
- Family of the Year (birth, kin, foster, adoptive)
- Child Protection Supervisor of the Year
- Child Protection Caseworker of the Year
- Child Protection Support Staff of the Year
- Journalist of the Year
Click here to download the award nominations. Please feel free to forward the information to your appropriate staff who can help us find these Everyday Heroes who deserve recognition. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office. Learn more about the conference.
Board of Trustees meets
The PCSAO Board of Trustees met June 7 and approved meeting minutes for May 3, 9, and 25. The board also reviewed and approved the April and May Treasurer's Reports and the draft 2016 Audit Report. The trustees noted that PCSAO once again had a successful audit with no findings. The board discussed and recommended a new annual dues structure and formula that will be presented to the Executive Membership June 29. The board finalized the agenda for the Executive Membership meeting, set the date for a special Executive Membership meeting on Sept. 29, received budget updates, and discussed pending legislation. The board will meet next on Aug. 2 as there is no July meeting.
JFS Human Resources Association meets
At its quarterly meeting June 7 – and the first business meeting of the year on the heels of April’s successful HR boot camp – the JFS Human Resources Association heard from state training coordinators and experts on the variety of training available to agency staff. Information was provided by the State of Ohio Training Association (SOTA), the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP), the Ohio Substance Abuse Training Gateway (OSATG), the Ohio Human Services Training System (OHSTS), and ODJFS regarding the breadth of training opportunities that exist. The meeting also featured a discussion of safety issues related to the opioid epidemic, including the use of Narcan in agency lobbies and by agency staff. The next meeting will be Sept. 13.
HOPE goes national!
Doreen Britt and Karen Ezirim, parent partners with Helping Ohio Parent Effectively (HOPE), were selected through a competitive process to attend the national Birth and Foster Parent Partnership Convening. The convening is hosted by the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds, Youth Law Center Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) and Casey Family Programs. Doreen and Karen have been tireless advocates and leaders for primary parents at the state and local levels. Doreen is a parent partner for Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services and will serve as a panelist at the QPI national convention. Karen co-chairs the HOPE statewide workgroup, chairs the Ohio Primary Parent Advocacy Committee of the Ohio Family Care Association and trains for both the Succeed Primary Parent Support Groups and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Both women have shared their inspiring stories at countless conferences and workshops throughout the state. Congratulations to both!
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Announcements and Resources
Reducing Homelessness for Young People from Foster Care webinar
FosterClub is pleased to invite you to a webinar on June 15 hosted by the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council to discuss homelessness among former foster youth. It’s an opportunity for you to hear firsthand from young people who experienced foster care and learn ways that practice and policy can be improved to better serve young people. Click here for more information and registration.
Action Guide to Address Opioid Abuse
The Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team released an Action Guide containing tools and contacts that can be used to improve a community’s response to opioid abuse.
F
Y17 Mentoring for Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Domestic Sex Trafficking Program and Training & Technical Assistance
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention has released a grant opportunity to enhance the capacity of applicant organizations to respond to the needs of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking.
Kinship care podcast from HHS
Kinship care is the most preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it maintains family connections. Nationally, approximately one-fourth of children in out-of-home care live with relatives. There are many services and resources kinship caregivers are eligible for, but many caregivers are not aware of or lack access to those services. This podcast from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services highlights the 211-iFoster Kinship Navigator Collaborative, a partnership between iFoster, 211 California, and the United Ways of California.
The 38-minute podcast can be accessed
here
. Or, to read a transcript and learn more, access the webpage
here
.
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Child Protection in the News
- June 7 – New study details the cost of Hamilton County kids aging out of foster care (Includes video) – WCPO
In Hamilton County alone, an average of more than 100 youth leave the system between the ages of 18 and 21 each year. Those young people cost local residents roughly $17.7 million per year in additional services and lost productivity, according to a new study by the University of Cincinnati's Economics Center. Click here to read the report on Economic Analysis of Hamilton County’s Emancipated Foster Youth.
- June 5 – Lawsuit reveals jaw-dropping stats about the opioid crisis – Vice News
The state of Ohio is suing five drug companies that manufacture prescription painkillers, alleging that they created a "human tragedy of epic proportion" by pushing misleading claims about the addictiveness of their products. 70 percent of infants placed in Ohio's foster care system are children of parents with opioid addictions.
- June 2 – Democratic leaders rally for funds at Senate forum – The Columbus Dispatch
Dozens of Democratic statewide leaders and progressive advocates gathered at the Statehouse on Thursday for a number of issues-based panel discussions intended to influence the state’s upcoming budget.
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June 19 | Legislative Committee Meeting
June 29 | Executive Membership Meeting
June 30 | Executive Membership Meeting
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“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
- Leo Buscaglia
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Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
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