'Caring For Kids' Monthly Newsletter

December 2025

LCCS Board Meetings Now Online

Lucas County residents are now able to attend meetings of the Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) Board of Trustees in real time, via ZOOM.
>> LEARN MORE

Making Families

Two children found their forever families during National Adoption Day ceremonies held November 20 here at LCCS. Lucas County Probate Judge Jack Puffenberger presided at ceremonies for two children, each being welcomed into a new family. The ceremonies were followed by a private luncheon so families could celebrate with their friends and kin around them. LCCS has finalized 49 adoptions so far this year, but 222 kids remain eligible for adoption. Congratulations to the Adoptions Unit for organizing such a heartfelt ceremony and celebration!

Why the NASW Code of Ethics Matters To You

LCCS has adopted the National Association of Social (NASW) Code of Ethics as a guide to shape our policies, strengthen our daily practice, and support ethical, transparent, and culturally responsive service delivery.
>> LEARN MORE

Isaiah 117 House Takes Possession of New Home

LCCS has a new partner in child protection. >> LEARN MORE

Legislator Ride-Along

LCCS welcomed State Representative Erika White (D, Springfield Twp.) to the agency on November 21. It was a busy and informative day for her. It started with the virtual reality "goggles" training to prepare her for going on home visits with Permanency Support caseworker Andrea Schultz. After the visits, she returned to the agency for a working lunch with executive director Randy Muth and agency counsel Shelby Cully. Rep. White asked a lot of questions and offered strong support for addressing the needs of children and families across Ohio. Thank you to Rep. White for spending the day with us!

Holiday Gift Drive Underway

LCCS is once again asking the community to "Give the Gift of Joy" this holiday season. The annual, community-based campaign provides gifts to children whose families are involved with the agency, whether the children live in their family home, with kinship caregivers, or with one of our licensed foster families.

Gift collection is underway and runs through December 18, 2025. Information about the types of toys needed, and the different ways you can support the drive, is available online at https://lucaskids.net/

Join LCCS for festive holiday movie nights!
All movies start at 7pm

MOVIES:

Monday, December 8 – THE POLAR EXPRESS

Monday, December 15 – A CHRISTMAS STORY

Maumee Indoor Theater

601 Conant St, Maumee, OH 43537

FREE ENTRY with donation of a non-perishable food item
or make a cash donation
to benefit the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank

FREE PICTURES WITH SANTA from 6-7pm

Make It A Movie Night

If you have an opportunity to attend a new movie, consider going to see, Sarah's Oil. Sarah’s Oil is an inspiring biographical drama about Sarah Rector, an African American girl in the early 1900s Oklahoma who suspects that oil lies beneath her barren, allotted land—and proves it. Facing opportunists eager to seize her fortune, she relies on family, friends, and allies to protect it, becoming one of America’s first Black female millionaires at just eleven years old. With its uplifting true story and strong cast, it promises a heartfelt, empowering watch.

Podcast Partners: LCCS and WGTE

WGTE has released the first episode of the Better and Longer Podcast series, Roots of Resilience: Empowering Kinship Families Amid Opiate Recovery.

The series explores the impact of the opioid epidemic on kinship and grandfamilies in Lucas County, and features host Arcelia Armstrong, Director of Caregiver Support and Kinship Navigator Programs, Area Office on Aging; Chanda Beal, Director of Social Services, LCCS; and Amy Galvan, Manager of Family and Community Engagement Department at LCCS.

Listen to the Podcast

Information In-Person Meetings:

Monday, December, 15, 2025 | 5-6pm
Toledo Heights Library (423 Shasta Dr., Toledo OH 43609)

Tuesday, January 20, 2025 | 5-6pm
West Toledo Branch Library (1320 W. Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH 43612)

Information Virtual Meetings
(ZOOM links will be emailed to participants):

Monday, December, 15, 2025 | 12:00-12:30pm

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00-12:30pm

Navigating the child welfare system can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone.

Do you need help finding the right person or department to answer your child welfare questions? LCCS now offers a Family Help Center. Our helpful Child Welfare Navigators can point you to employees trained to answer your specific questions. We also have a Grievance Officer, who can help you share your concerns in the most productive way possible.