A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
Weekly Update for May 18, 2020
Association Updates

Coronavirus updates
Gov. Mike DeWine continued his Responsible Restart Ohio efforts.
  • Gov. DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its Pandemic EBT plan. The approval will allow ODJFS to distribute SNAP benefits of $300 per family to 850,000 students across Ohio who relied on free or reduced-price meal programs.
  • Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced that massage therapy, acupuncture, cosmetic therapy and tattoo and body piercing services were permitted to reopen on May 15 with proper safety measures. 
  • Beginning May 31, childcare providers in Ohio will be permitted to reopen if these providers can meet required safety protocols. Ohio will seek to use more than $60 million in federal CARES Act funding to provide reopening grants to all of Ohio’s childcare providers, including family childcare, childcare centers, and both publicly funded and private providers. Gov. DeWine also announced that Ohio will fund a research project to study best practices for controlling the spread of COVID-19 in childcare settings.
  • Beginning May 26, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles locations in Ohio will be permitted to reopen for certain services if they can meet required safety protocols. Services that can be accomplished online should still be done online. 
  • Beginning May 26, gyms and fitness centers in Ohio will be permitted to reopen if these facilities can meet required safety protocols. 
  • Beginning May 26, sports leagues in Ohio will be permitted to operate if these leagues can meet required safety protocols. This applies only to non-contact and limited-contact sports. Safety protocols for high-contact sports are in development. 
  • Beginning May 26, public pools and club pools that are regulated by local health departments in Ohio will be permitted to reopen if they can meet required safety protocols. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water. 
  • Beginning May 22, horse racing in Ohio will be permitted if these operations can meet required safety protocols. Spectators will not be permitted. This does not apply to casinos and racinos. 
  • Beginning May 21, campgrounds in Ohio will be permitted to reopen if they can meet required safety protocols. 
PCSAO continues to follow the COVID-19 situation closely and interact with state officials and community partners to ensure that county agencies are well represented and receive clear information. For the latest information from the state, visit the coronavirus.ohio.gov page.
Rules Updates

Pre-Clearance: The following rule is open for comments until May 22:
  • Rule 5101:2-33-02 - PCSA requirement to participate in child protection oversight and evaluation.
Clearance: The following rules are open for comments until May 21:
  • Rule 5101:2-47-08 - Required Application/Update for Title IV-D (Child Support) Services and Referrals to Title IV-A (Public Assistance); Healthchek; Third Party Insurance; and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
  • Rule 5101:2-47-13 - Title IV-E foster care maintenance (FCM) program eligibility: Legal responsibility requirements. Title IV-B Supplemental Disaster Relief Funding. Note that this federal funding was released to address needs, promote and ensure the safety and well-being of children and families in areas of the state where tornadoes and floods occurred in calendar year 2019 and a major disaster or emergency was declared. Only specified counties receive this funding. The specified PCSAs can incur services through the funding period, June 30, 2021, and disburse and report expenditures no later than the end of the liquidation period, Sept. 30, 2021.
The following rule has a deadline of May 21 for comments:
  • Title IV-B Supplemental Disaster Relief Funding - Note that this federal funding was released to address needs, promote and ensure the safety and well-being of children and families in areas of the state where tornadoes and floods occurred in calendar year 2019 and a major disaster or emergency was declared. Only specified counties receive this funding. The specified PCSAs can incur services through the funding period, June 30, 2021, and disburse and report expenditures no later than the end of the liquidation period, Sept. 30, 2021.
Filed with JCARR: The following rules were filed no change on May 12:
The following rule was original-filed on May 12 with a hearing date of June 16:
Announcements and Resources

ODJFS and SCO offer webinar on planning for in-person visitation
The ODJFS Office of Families and Children and the Supreme Court of Ohio are hosting a webinar on “Parenting Time During COVID-19: Strategically Using In-Person and Virtual Visits" on May 22 from 10-11:30 a.m. During Ohio’s stay-at-home orders, many parent visits are being delayed or held virtually. As Ohio begins to reopen, agencies will need to develop a decision-making process for determining which families are eligible for in-person visits and how those visits can be conducted safely. The presenters, including Rose Wentz, will discuss age-specific recommendations and activities as well as practical considerations for maintaining distance during visits. The webinar will also include a review of current guidelines from the Children's Bureau, ODJFS, and the Centers for Disease Control. The target audience is child protection staff and supervisors and legal professionals including court-appointed special advocates and guardians ad litem. Register here .

HUD and ACF host discussion on foster youth initiatives
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) are conducting an “Ohio Roundtable Discussion on Foster Youth Initiatives” conversation May 28 from 12:30-2 p.m. The conversation will be led by HUD with participants from the Ohio child welfare and public housing authorities, HUD, ACF, nonprofits focusing on foster youth, and foster youth. Register here .

Capacity Building Center for States offers planning resources for agencies
The Capacity Building Center for States has collected online resources designed to help child welfare agencies plan for the future and meet the needs of a remote workplace. They include material on strategic planning , virtual meetings in child welfare and change and implementation in practice.
Child Protection in the News

Isolation is the enemy. Jennifer Anderson watched helplessly as her boyfriend spent two days early in April isolating himself in their bedroom in Covington watching endless TV news about how COVID-19 was threatening the globe.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital has been awarded $719,098 as part of an allocation of $930,009 in grants to health care facilities in the state help provide telehealth services. Two other health care facilities in Ohio received grants as well from the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau. The grants announced Wednesday are in addition to a telehealth grant announced in April for the Health Partners of Western Ohio in Lima. These grants come from funds made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
 
Faced with a major uptick in calls to its domestic violence hotline since mid-April due to the COVID-19 crisis, the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati ran into an unexpected problem - how do you provide enough space for social distancing during a pandemic.

Aimee and Ralph Hubbert, of Akron, decided there was no perfect time to be foster care parents.  

The goal of Richland County Children Services (RCCS) is always reunification. RCCS has on average 100 children in custody with close to 60 foster homes. Out of the 100 children, 30 percent of them are teenagers. Families are needed for all age children, but especially for older youth. The Agency currently only has two foster homes willing to care for teens.

Child advocacy officials say abuse and neglect referrals are half of what they were this time last year in Franklin County. However, they're expecting a surge as things open back up, prompting them to ask Congress for funding.
Upcoming Events

May 18 | Legislative Committee Meeting
June 3 | Board of Trustees Meeting

Note: Most if not all meetings will be held via web meeting or teleconference.

Employment Opportunities

Looking for a career in child protection? Or a new position to challenge yourself? Check out the latest job openings in child protection .
Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 | www.pcsao.org
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