A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
Weekly Update for November 18, 2019
Association Updates

PRT rejuvenates county efforts to find permanency for longstaying youth
The Permanency Roundtables Advisory Council met Nov. 15 under the new ODJFS contract with Kinnect. Participating counties are engaged in rebranding and relaunching, revising tools, and aligning metrics in order to begin recruiting new counties next year. The group established tasks and timelines, a 2020 meeting schedule, and a renewed commitment to the work.

OCWTP receives updates on university partnership
Kelly Lynch, state coordinator of the University Partnership Program, presented to the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program State Steering Committee Nov. 13. She charted the program's success as it approaches its 20th anniversary and showcased new tools for campus coordinators and field instructors, available here .

Anti-human trafficking update
PCSAO and grant partners provided an all-day human trafficking training to Muskingum County Children Services and its community partners on Nov. 13. PCSAO and grant partners provided an all-day human trafficking training to Montgomery County Job and Family Services and its community partners on Nov. 15.

The Freedom Network released a white paper on standards of care for the anti-human trafficking field. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is hosting a webinar about the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act and its mandate for social service agencies to report children missing from foster care to law enforcement and NCMEC.
Learn more and register for this webinar on Nov. 21 at 2 p.m.

HOPE sets sights on 2020
HOPE, in partnership with other initiatives and programs in Ohio, is looking toward 2020. In the remaining weeks of 2019 HOPE will be reviewing lessons learned, outcomes and accomplishments of the counties providing HOPE services to inform the plans for the New Year. 

Rules updates
Rules in Pre-Clearance: As of Nov. 15, no rules or forms are in pre-clearance.

Rules in Clearance: As of Nov. 15, no children services-related rules are in clearance.

Rules filed with JCARR: 
  • 5101:1-24-30, Kinship caregiver program: Final-filed Nov. 12; effective date Dec. 1.
  • 5101:2-50-02, Requirements for bridges eligibility: Original-filed Nov. 14; hearing date Dec. 17.
  • 5101:2-50-03, Bridges termination and reentry: Original-filed Nov. 14; hearing date Dec. 17.
  • 5101:2-50-04, Bridges Title IV-E eligibility and reimbursability determination: Original-filed Nov. 14; hearing date Dec. 17.
  • 5101:2-50-05, Bridges appeal process: Original-filed Nov. 14; hearing date Dec. 17.
Announcements and Resources

Register: Family Finding Convening Dec. 3
Kinnect's annual Family Finding Convening will take place Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. The convening is a not-to-be-missed gathering of public child welfare leaders, manager, supervisors, and workers; private agency leaders and workers; judges, CASAs, GALs, and court staff; families and youth with lived experience; statewide membership and advocacy organizations; and anyone committed to advancing permanency practice in Ohio. Topics include family finding (state of the art tools to help identify a permanent family and supportive network for foster children), engagement (utilizing Family Group Decision Making approaches in all of the work), Family First Act (a national perspective on the planning, development, and progress being made towards implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act). This is a rare opportunity to hear from many field experts and innovative practitioners in one setting. Register today .

OSU seeks kin families to participate in literacy program
STAR is a 15-week adult-child home reading program designed to improve children’s early literacy skills and provide guidance and support to help kinship caregivers to read regularly with their child. Participation involves:
  • Caregivers will receive and can keep 15 new storybooks.
  • Caregivers read each book to their child 4 times a week and help their children to pay attention to the print in the book. (Don’t worry, OSU will provide guidance to how to do this part.)
  • Total time includes: one-hour orientation, 40 minutes of reading each week, and one hour of meetings with project staff, for a total of 12 hours throughout the study period.
  • Caregivers keep a log of their reading and audio-record their reading sessions.
Families will receive up to $120 in gift cards from Target and Kroger, and keep all books and materials. This OSU study involves 40 kinship caregivers and their 4- to 5-year-old children. Those who are potentially eligible will meet these screening criteria:
  • Child is between 4 and 6 years of age;
  • Caregiver is at least 18 years of age;
  • Caregiver provides informed written consent to participate; and
  • Caregiver is willing to read regularly to her/his child using books provided for this purpose.
Child Protection in the News
Phillitia Charlton is the author of Death of a Lie, ... from ticket sales will go back to Montgomery County Children Services.

Nov. 14 - State adds more stops to foster-care forum tour - Columbus Dispatch
Big-city stops will be added to a series of public forums on improving Ohio’s foster-care system, Gov. Mike DeWine’s office said Wednesday.

Nov. 13 - Brown Secures Key Provisions in Bipartisan Foster Care Legislation (Press release) - Office of U.S. Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has joined his colleagues in introducing the Family First Transition Act, which includes a number of key provisions Brown secured from his Family First Transition and Support Act, legislation to increase investment and support for child welfare as Ohio counties struggle to make sure children are cared for, especially in light of the addiction crisis. Brown worked closely with the Senate Finance Committee to ensure his provisions were included in the bipartisan bill.

When Angela Boblitt and her husband adopted a baby with Down syndrome six years ago, they found themselves $14,000 shy of the expected finances it would take to complete the process.

Mahoning County Children Services, 222 W. Federal St., will host training sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. ... review key state and federal laws and discuss what human trafficking can look like in Ohio.

The Ohio Supreme Court’s Children and Families Section is encouraging judges to attend a series of regional forums aimed at reviewing the state of Ohio’s foster care system and developing recommendations for improving the experience of children and families.
Upcoming Events

Nov. 18 | Legislative Committee Meeting
Dec. 4 | JFS Human Resources Association Meeting
Dec. 5-6 | Executive Membership Meeting

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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