Kamron is a polite young man.
He's soft-spoken and a bit shy.
He would love to have friends and participate in an organized sports team with a forever family cheering him on from the sidelines.
Kamron likes to roller skate, play in the park or jump around at Jump Zone. In many ways, he is a typical boy for his age. He likes to ride his bike and play video games. He likes to play with peers, but also by himself.
The last couple of months have been hard for him, transitioning from saying goodbye to his birth mother to talking more about adoption. He wants a forever family.
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Please put your purple on
Join us and other Adult Protective Services agencies around the country June 15 by wearing purple.
The color campaign helps us call attention to elder abuse.
Our elder abuse hotline, 421-LIFE, received 3.166 calls in 2017, which resulted in 533 investigations.
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Celebrating the perseverance of our foster children
We all know how important education is for a successful life. I am proud to say more than 30 of our foster children will receive their high school diplomas this year - not an ending, but a start to building a successful life on their own.
Some will go off to college, some to trade school. Others will look for jobs right away. We will continue to help some youth as they transition to adulthood, while others will want to do it on their own and ask to leave our care and supervision.
Whatever their next step, their high school diploma will serve both as a reminder of what they can accomplish and support for what they will accomplish.
In the case of a foster child, a diploma does not come easily. These are children who persevere through abuse or neglect, removal from their families and, sometimes, one or multiple school changes. Graduation is certainly not a given.
They deserve much celebration for reaching their goal. We will do just that!
Our 19
th annual Celebration of Dreams event on June 7 is a giant party in their honor. The celebration includes semi-formal dress, a dinner, speakers, music, certificates of achievement and gifts for the graduates. The event will feature a movie theme as the 32 graduating foster youth prepare to be stars in the film called "Life."
Read more...
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Are you a dad? We're looking for your help
We want to engage and serve fathers in a new way and we're looking for dads - and moms - to help.
We believe identifying, locating, engaging and serving fathers in the work we do to keep children and families safe and to create the best possible outcomes for children and families in general can be a game-changer in our industry. Research and data consistently reveal improved outcomes when dads are engaged and involved in solutions for the families in our care. 
To achieve
our goal, we need involvement and input from our community's fathers and mothers. If you know someone who would be a good fit, please call Calvin Williams at 513-946-1123, or email him at
willic21@jfs.hamilton-co.org
.
The process of designing this new approach is a
positive, solution-focused way to think about how the agency can improve.
Interested dads and moms must be available to attend meetings on these days:
- June 15
- June 29
- July 20
- August 24
- September 14
All meetings will be from noon to 4 p.m. at the United Way. Transportation support is available and lunch, drinks and snacks will be provided.
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A phone call leads to a new mommy and daddy
They hadn't planned on having more children. Their son, A.J., will be 18 soon. In fact, they were talking about getting a dog.
But when David Gregory, a Cincinnati police officer, heard from a family friend about a baby boy who needed a home, he didn't hesitate. He called his wife, Traci, and they quickly decided to take the baby in.
That baby boy, Logan, is now the cutest little 20-month-old towhead. And he officially became a Gregory last week.
 The courtroom of Hamilton County Probate Judge Ralph Winkler was full of family members, friends and caseworkers. The judge thanked the Gregorys for stepping up, for becoming parents again when they hadn't expected to do so. Logan's caseworker and guardian ad litem said they can't imagine him being anywhere else.
Logan walked around the courtroom like he owned it, took off his shoes and banged the judge's gavel.
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New photo upload system makes Lifebooks better
We're excited about our new tool to collect pictures of children so we can document their lives in life books.The tool provides a safe and secure way for foster parents and kinship parents to upload photos that will attach directly to the child's case.
As a hero on the front line caring for our most vulnerable children, our foster parents already do so much.
In addition to providing the essentials, they offer the displaced a sense of space, a harbor in the storm. Their impact goes well beyond the weeks, months, and even years they open their hearts and homes. Their investment goes deeper than their physical well-being as well. When they help a foster child understand their story and their value, they have a better chance of building a future with more hope than hurt.
The photos uploaded will be used in the creation of personalized life books that are both required by law and useful for telling each child's special story.
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New, easy way to get
benefits information
Ohio's Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service is now available to Hamilton County residents 24 hours a day.
Clients can call 1-844-640-OHIO (6446) and follow the instructions. They will be able to:
- Hear their benefits status (monthly recurring benefit amounts and/or Medicaid status)
- Sign up for text message notifications
- Speak with an available Call Center agent
- Change their mobile number for text notifications
- Unsubscribe from future text notifications
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