Weekly Update: October 4, 2021
PCSAO 2021 Annual Conference
PCSAO's Annual Conference was a tremendous success! Thanks to everyone who participated -- in-person or online.

At "Facing the Future Together," we celebrated accomplishments, renewed our commitment to the work, learned new skills, reconnected with peers and friends, and prepared for the many changes coming to our system in the next year, including the Family First Act, which went "live" in Ohio on Friday, Oct. 1.

Please complete the overall conference evaluation so that we can plan an even better conference for you next year. Individual workshop evaluations can be found in the Socio app, where you will continue to be able to access presentations and handouts, connect with vendors and sponsors, and network with peers over the next 12 months.

Photos from the conference can be viewed on Flickr.

Just a few highlights of the three-day event:


Sen. Matt Dolan and Rep. Rick Carfagna received PCSAO's Legislator of the Year awards.

Keynote speakers Molly Tierney of Accenture, author Rachel Mitchum Elahee, and ODJFS DIrector Matt Damschroder made us think and laugh with their remarks, while trainers and presenters for the 44 workshops helped us focus on practice and skillbuilding.

Warren County Ohio START Family Peer Mentor Sarah Hayden received the Child Advocate of the Year award.

Networking receptions sponsored by Aetna and UnitedHealthcare gave us an opportunity to unwind and reflect on each day.

Four incredible families were recognized as Family of the Year, including birth parents, kinship caregivers and foster parents.

Five promising young people were honored for Rising Up and Moving On after their experience in foster care. You won't want to miss their videos.

Sponsors exhibited their services at more than 25 tables, where attendees completed passports for a chance to win a dozen gift baskets generously donated by public and private agencies.

Outstanding agency staff received awards:

Check back for information about videos from the event, and mark your calendar for next year's conference Sept. 19-21 (Monday through Wednesday), 2022, when we will move our event to the Hilton Easton!

Thanks to our World Champion Sponsors!
Rules Update
Pre-Clearance: As of Oct. 1, there are no children services-related rules in Pre-Clearance.

Clearance: The following rules are open for comments until Oct. 6:
  • Rule 5101:2-38-01 - Requirements for PCSA Family Case Plan for In-home Supportive Services without a Court Order.
  • Rule 5101:2-38-05 - PCSA Family Case Plan for Children in Custody or Under Protective Supervision.
  • Rule 5101:2-38-07 - PCPA Family Case Plan for Children in Custody or Under Court-Ordered Protective Supervision.

Filed with JCARR: The following rules were final-filed on Sept. 24 with an effective date of Oct. 15:
  • Rule 5101:2-5-02 - Application for an agency to perform specific functions; amended applications.
  • Rule 5101:2-5-03 - Certification of an agency to perform specific functions.
  • Rule 5101:2-5-04 - Recertification of an agency to perform specific functions.
  • Rule 5101:2-5-13 - Required agency policies, plans and procedures.
 
The following rules were final-filed on Sept. 24 with an effective date of Oct. 4:
Resources and Clips
Resources and Announcements
Child welfare law training series offered in October
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Supreme Court of Ohio have partnered with the National Association for Counsel for Children (NACC) again to provide a new Ohio-specific child welfare attorney virtual training series. The series is open to Ohio attorneys who represent children/parents, Juvenile/Family Court staff, children services staff or any community professional interested in learning more about child welfare law. It is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and offered at no cost. In addition, the series is provided as a strategy to increase high-quality legal representation for children and parents involved in children services court cases and further supports multiple Children Services Transformation juvenile justice recommendations. Registration for the series can be completed at Ohio Court Edu on the Supreme Court of Ohio website and closes on Oct. 6. For additional information or questions, contact Debra Copeland or Tequilla Washington. The 2021 virtual training series will consist of the following four sessions (CLEs pending approval):
  • Session 1: Key Advocacy Moments in an Ohio Child Welfare Case, Oct. 7, 5-6:30 p.m.
  • Session 2: In Court and Out-of-Court Advocacy and Collaboration Throughout an Ohio Child Welfare Case, Oct. 14, 5-6:30 p.m.
  • Session 3: Selected Topics in Ohio Child Welfare Law and Practice, Oct. 21, 5-6:30 p.m.
  • Session 4: Evidentiary Laws, Objections, and Trial Advocacy for Ohio Child Welfare Attorneys, Oct. 28, 5-6:30 p.m.
Child Protection in the News
Cocaine found in a woman’s system while she gave birth in a Seneca County hospital is not sufficient enough to charge her with felony cocaine possession, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Oct. 1 - Rescue Plan Could Help OH Schools End Retributive Justice (Includes audio) - Public News Service 
Ohio has received more than $4 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to go toward education, and a recent report from The Sentencing Project spotlights how the state can use those funds to prevent what it calls the school-to-prison pipeline.

A Montgomery County Commons Pleas judge sentenced the three people convicted in the Takoda Collins murder case Wednesday. In court, Judge Dennis Adkins put a lot of the blame on Montgomery County Children Services. During the hearing, Judge Adkins said in open court that teachers at Dayton Public Schools truly loved Collins. "They did everything they could in their power by notifying people of authority and notifying Montgomery County Children Services. But their cries for help fell on deaf ears," Adkins said.

Most American families have been getting monthly child tax credit checks since July and new data shows it's already having an impact on their financial stability.

You can’t believe everything you hear. The same could be said for what you read.
Calendar and Job Postings
Oct. 6 | Board of Trustees Meeting
Oct. 7 | Rules Review Committee Meeting
Oct. 8 | Community Education Committee Meeting
Oct. 8 | Conference Committee Meeting

Note: Some meetings are being held via web and others in-person.
View the full calendar for details.
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