 |
A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
|
|
Weekly Update for August 3, 2020
|
State updates
The following are state updates for this week:
- Gov. Mike DeWine announced that child care providers in Ohio may return to their normal, statutory ratios and class sizes beginning Aug. 9. Child care providers have a choice to increase the number of children and staff members to the normal statutory ratios or to maintain their current, lower ratios to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is structuring a financial incentive to providers that maintain smaller ratios and classroom sizes.
- Gov. DeWine announced that Ohio will collect its mass gathering guidance into one stand-alone order. Mass gathering guidance was most recently referenced as part of other orders, and combining this information into one order will allow citizens to easily find guidance on holding gatherings in a safe manner. Mass gatherings in Ohio remain limited to 10 people.
- Gov. DeWine announced that county and independent fairs with an opening day on or after July 31 will be limited to specific junior fair events.
- After seeing COVID-19 outbreaks associated with bars across Ohio, Gov. DeWine announced that he has asked the Ohio Liquor Control Commission to call an emergency meeting to consider enacting a statewide emergency rule to eliminate liquor sales after 10 p.m.
- Following the removal of Rep. Householder as Speaker of the House, the chamber voted to replace him with Rep. Bob Cupp.
Northeast District meets
The Northeast District met July 27 via web conference for its regular quarterly meeting. Staff from ODJFS joined to provide updates on Family First implementation and answer questions. County updates and PCSAO updates and discussion rounded out the meeting. The district next meets Oct. 26, venue to be announced.
Housing webinar explores new federal option for transition-age youth
Jamole Callahan of Foster ACTION Ohio and Laurie Valentine of ODJFS
led a one-hour webinar July 31 on the new Foster Youth Independence housing voucher, a federal Housing and Urban Development program that can be established by local housing authorities working with children services agencies to provide housing for emancipated foster youth. The training shared the experience of Lorain County in implementing the program and discussed eligibility and availability of the program. Many thanks to our expert presenters.
|
Become a sponsor!
The PCSAO annual conference, Partners in Progress, will be a polished virtual event produced by Mills James Productions. Our conference offers the opportunity to reach more than 500 children services professionals across the state. Our audience includes child protection caseworkers, supervisors, administrators, attorneys, directors, students and advocates. United Healthcare is our 40th Anniversary Sponsor.
Visit our sponsorship page for more information.
|
Pre-Clearance: The following rules are open for comments until Aug. 27:
- Rule 5101:5-1-01 - Regional prevention councils operation and regional prevention council member duties.
- Rule 5101:5-1-02 - Regional prevention coordinator duties and selection process to be rescinded.
- Rule 5101:5-1-03 - Boards of county commissioners appointing of regional prevention council members.
- Rule 5101:5-1-04 - Regional prevention council designation to be rescinded.
Clearance:
- Rule 5101:2-39-03 - Emergency removal of a child from substitute care placement. Five-year review with no resulting changes. Comments open until Aug. 6.
- Rule 5101:2-38-08 - Child’s education and health information. Five-year review with some proposed changes to clarify that the case record is SACWIS and that documentation and forms are completed in SACWIS. Comments open until Aug. 7.
The following rules have been through the five-year review and have proposed amendments:
- Rule 5101:2-48-02 - Putative father registry. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-48-17 - Assessor visits and contacts with children in adoptive homes prior to finalization. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-48-18 - Postfinalization services. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-48-20 - Release of identifying and nonidentifying information. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-48-22 - Adoptive family case record. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-48-23 - Preservation of adoptive child case record. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-5-05 - Agency appeal of finding of noncompliance. Comments open until Aug. 7.
- Rule 5101:2-5-07 - Denial or revocation of an agency's certificate or certification to perform specific functions; temporary certificates. Comments open until Aug. 8..
- Rule 5101:2-5-10 - Child records. Comments open until Aug. 8.
- Rule 5101-2-5-16 - Consideration to be given to child's religion, beliefs and practices. Comments open until Aug. 8.
- Rule 5101-2-5-22 - Recommendations for initial foster home certification. Comments open until Aug. 8.
- Rule 5101:2-5-25 - Changing the certification of a foster caregiver from one type of foster home to another. Comments open until Aug. 8.
- Rule 5101:2-5-30 - Foster care amendments. Comments open until Aug. 8.
- Rule 5101:2-5-31 - Sharing or transferring a foster home. Comments open until Aug. 8.
The following rule is being rescinded:
- Rule 5101:2-48-25 - Inter-agency adoption data collection. Comments open until Aug. 7.
Filed with JCARR: As of July 31, no new children services-related rules have been filed with JCARR.
|
Announcements and Resources
PCSAO, DYS, Human Trafficking Task Force offer webinar series
The Ohio Department of Youth Services, Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and PCSAO are partnering to present the Human Trafficking Awareness & Identification Online Training Series. The following sessions are available:
- "Labor Trafficking in Ohio": Harold D'Souza, Rebekkah O'Bryan and Bhumika Patel will offer a closer look at the issue of labor trafficking in Ohio Aug. 4 from 2-3:30 p.m. Labor trafficking is when individuals perform work or services at the behest of a trafficker using force, fraud, or coercion. Speakers will discuss how traffickers exploit vulnerabilities and ways to support victims and survivors, as well as the applicable federal and state laws and legal protections for victims and survivors of labor trafficking.
- "Justice System-Based Interventions for Survivors of Human Trafficking": Vanessa Perkins and Emily Dunlap will look at interventions available through the adult and juvenile justice systems to support survivors of human trafficking Aug. 18 from 2-3:30 p.m. Many adult and minor survivors are forced to engage in criminal activity as part of their trafficking situations. As a result, they need trauma-informed supports through the adult and juvenile justice systems. This webinar will provide information about how Ohio’s Safe Harbor Law can be used to support juveniles and how specialized court programming like CATCH Court can be used to support adults.
- "Dynamics of Exploitation in Human Trafficking": Hollie Daniels, Rebekkah O'Bryan and Bhumika Patel will provide participants with a foundational understanding of how traffickers exploit victims Aug. 25 from 1-2:30 p.m. They will explore how this exploitation may render survivors dependent on their traffickers and wary of supportive systems, and how service providers can work to empower survivors toward recovery.
Children's Trust Funds grants available
The Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF) has grants available for child abuse and child neglect prevention programs that have statewide significance. The maximum amount of funding available to individual applications through this grant is up to $75,000 with matching funds or in-kind contributions of 20% required. For state fiscal year 2021, any organization wishing to apply is required to electronically submit a completed application packet to the OCTF by Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. More information on application guidelines and required forms
can be found here
. There is a question and answer period open until Aug. 10. For any other questions, email
OCTFGrants@jfs.ohio.gov
.
Ohio Fatherhood Commission offers virtual fatherhood summit
The Ohio Fatherhood Commission is offering its first “State Virtual Fatherhood Summit” Sept. 2-3 with a special follow-up "Breakfast with Dad" event on Sept. 5 to celebrate fathers.
- Sept. 2: Ohio Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families Practitioner Training, 9 a.m.- 12 noon. Register here. Fatherhood Grant Writing Training, from 1-5 p.m. Register here.
- Sept. 3: Virtual Fatherhood Summit with guest speakers Alan-Michael Graves from Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld's Good Plus Foundation, Christopher Brown from the National Fatherhood Initiative, and Kenneth Braswell from Fathers Incorporated and the National Fatherhood Clearinghouse. Click here to register.
- Sept. 5: Virtual Breakfast with Dad Event featuring guest speakers William Green, formerly with the Cleveland Browns, and Elbert "Ickey" Woods, formerly with the Cincinnati Bengals. Ohio fathers, please ask your children to join you with their favorite breakfast food to celebrate. Click here to register.
Chronicle of Social Change seeks youth voices on racism
As part of its Youth Voice Opportunities efforts, the Chronicle of Social Change is seeking written and video submissions from current or former foster youth ages 18 and up who are pursuing higher education. The first 25 winners will be eligible for a $250 stipend.
Find more information here
.
Center for the States offers webinar on community partnerships
The Center for States is offering a virtual event, ‘‘Developing Trusting Partnerships and Collaborating to Strengthen Families,” Aug. 20 from 1-2:30 p.m. Hear real-life examples of how agencies transformed their communities by building trusting and successful partnerships to strengthen families, and learn how they can support that process. Participants will learn about the importance of developing shared goals and values in building strong partnerships, examine how and why jurisdictions sometimes struggle to establish and maintain community partnerships, connect with peers to share ideas, and learn what community partners need from child welfare agencies to build trust.
Register here.
Contact Chris King with questions:
chris.king@icf.com.
NCWWI and Children’s Bureau to offer worker recognition event
The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute and the Children’s Bureau will offer a
one-hour virtual recognition event
Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. designed to get people inspired and refocused on "the heart work." Hear from child welfare leaders and service recipients expressing their appreciation for how children services systems have adjusted their practice to serve families and children under unprecedented and challenging conditions. Part of this event will include sharing a video with images from child welfare programs across the country. If you would like your workforce represented in this video, please send one or two photos to
michelle.clinch@du.edu
.
|
Child Protection in the News
Reports of child abuse plummeted in Cuyahoga County this spring, as children stayed home because of concerns about the coronavirus, with the county recording about half the number of complaints compared to spring of 2019.
The Scioto County Commissioners approved a resolution during their July 30 meeting which created a special victim’s unit to help combat violent and/or sexual crimes against children and other high-risk individuals within the county.
The Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services is considering options to overcome a shortage of places to house foster children, including raising the rate it pays foster families and residential facilities.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reports nine deaths of children while in the custody of a public children services agency since 2017. Two of those deaths occurred under the watch of the Scioto County Children Services, leading to increased scrutiny of the agency.
|
Profiles of Hope and Courage:
Children Services in the Era of COVID-19
Ashley: 'I want to come alongside families and help them through this'
Ashley is an Ohio START caseworker at Hamilton County Job and Family Services. She came to Ohio START with significant experience working with families experiencing poverty and trauma in school settings. Initially, she did not want to be in a position that could require her to remove children from their homes. After her interview, she felt it was the right fit for her because she wanted to be a voice for children.
PCSAO is collecting stories from the front lines of child protection to raise awareness of the challenges our children services professionals, and the families they serve, are facing during this pandemic.
|
Aug. 5 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Aug. 7 | Community Education Committee Meeting
Aug. 12 | Ohio START Summit
Aug. 14 | Conference Planning Committee Meeting
Note: Meetings will be held via web meeting for the foreseeable future.
|
Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 |
www.pcsao.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
