A quick rundown of Ohio child protection news this week
Weekly Update for April 22, 2019
Association Updates

Ohio START Cohort 2 Consortium meets
On April 16, the Ohio START Cohort 2 counties met for their first consortium meeting. The meeting consisted of administrators, supervisors, caseworkers, or family peer mentors from every county in cohort 2. Attendees shared updates on how implementation was going, and heard from OSU's evaluation team and Julie Stone from Head Start. The next Cohort 2 consortium will take place Sept. 17 in Richland County.

PCSAO recognizes Ohio START director
Director of Ohio START Fawn Gadel received the Young Alumnus of the Year Award from Capital University Law School. Fawn was the associate director and served as interim executive director of the Family and Youth Law Center at Capital before joining PCSAO. Congratulations, Fawn!
 
Prevention luncheon in Belmont County honors local champions
PCSAO Assistant Director Scott Britton spoke at the Belmont County JFS annual prevention recognition event April 18 in St. Clairsville. Community stakeholders were out in force, including all three county commissioners, law enforcement, judges and more. Director Vince Gianangeli recognized local Moose lodges for generous donations to support children in need and recognized a local nurse as child advocate of the year.
 
East Central District meets
Members of the East Central District gathered in Coshocton to hear from Northwoods regarding EDMS, discuss recent policy changes and decisions, and share county updates. They also signed a retirement certificate for Columbiana County's Eileen Dray-Bardon. The district meets next July 19.

PCSAO conference Call for Presenters
The 2019 PCSAO Conference Planning Committee is calling for presenters for the 34th annual PCSAO conference. The theme of this year's conference is "Champions for Children and Families." The committee will be looking for presenters who have dynamic and engaging presentations that are relevant to child welfare evidence-based practices, who will benefit attendees, and who are creative. The conference draws around 500 people each year and is a valuable opportunity to educate child welfare advocates across the state. The 2019 conference will be Sept. 25-27 at the DoubleTree in Worthington. Workshop proposal information and application can be found here and should be submitted to pcsao@pcsao.org   by May 1. Any questions can be directed to the conference coordinator, Nitina Francis, at pcsao@pcsao.org or 614-224-5802.

Rules update
Rules in Pre-Clearance: Chapter 5101:2-38, Case Planning and Reviews are in pre-clearance until May 18. You can review and comment here.
 
Rules in Clearance: As of April 19, no children services-related rules were in Clearance.
 
Filed with JCARR: The following rules were original-filed on April 17 and have a scheduled public hearing May 21:
  • 5101:2-33-55: Education and in-service training requirements for PCSA caseworkers
  • 5101:2-33-56: Education and -in-service training requirements for PCSA supervisors
  • 5101:2-49-05: Determination of the adoption assistance monthly payment amount
  • 5101:2-49-17: Case record requirements for adoption assistance
  • 5101:2-49-21: Reimbursement of nonrecurring adoption expenses for a child with special needs
  • 5101:2-52-04: PCSA responsibilities for the interstate compact on the placement of children
  • 5101:2-52-06: Responsibilities applicable to interstate placement of children when a PCPA, PNA or court is the sending or receiving agency
  • 5101:2-52-08: Interstate placement requirements for Ohio parents, legal guardians, or private entities when placing a child into another state or territory for adoption
  • 5101:2-52-10: Interstate placement requirements for Ohio courts, parents, or legal guardians when placing a child in a residential placement in another state or territory
Announcements and Resources

Human trafficking webinar
The Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (ONCAC) has developed the ONtarget webinar series to enhance the MDT response for Ohio’s child survivors of human trafficking. Learn more and register: April 30, 12-1:30 p.m., The Colorado Project: Lessons Learned from the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking’s 5-Year Study . Presenter: Kara Napolitano, The Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.
Child Protection in the News

Their politics may vary wildly, but Reps. Steve Stivers and Joyce Beatty have become a unified front on teen homelessness, teaming up to successfully fight for money to help keep teenagers aging out of foster care system from becoming homeless.
A child abuse and neglect prevention luncheon was held on Thursday in Belmont County in which several were recognized for their service to the community, especially when advocating for children.
For lawyers who go the judiciary route, their judgeships can lead to any number of courts. But the ones that become callings, tend to be the most personal.
 
Columbus City Council dedicated $5.6 million to help with housing teens transitioning out of foster care. They entered into a contract with the Affordable Housing Trust of Columbus and Franklin County to make financial assistance available as grants to homeowners, home-buyers, renters, for-profit and non-profit organizations to increase the local supply of decent, safe and sanitary housing and decrease the number of vacant properties in Columbus.
 
Last year in Ohio, there was a confirmed case of child abuse or neglect every 27 minutes. More than 198,590 child abuse or neglect reports were made to children services agencies.
 
Apr. 15 - Hottinger: Providing Hope to Families in Need – Newark Advocate
As an elected official, one of the issues I am most passionate about is the importance of family. Some families are strong— others may be torn apart by financial crisis, addiction or other challenges. Regardless of the circumstances, everyone deserves to have a sense of family and a place to be cared for by compassionate individuals.
 
Grab your cape! Runners and superheroes alike across the Miami Valley participated in the Child Abuse Prevention and Eliminations 5K run on Saturday.
 
In recognition of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, Southeastern Ohio Legal Services is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice/Office of Victims of Crime has awarded them a $750,000 grant to assist children and youth who are victims of crime as a result of the opioid crisis.
Upcoming Events

April 22 | Southeast District Meeting
April 22 | Northeast District Meeting
May 1 | Board of Trustees 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 .

UPP graduates seeking employment at a PCSA are listed on our website.
Quote of the Week
"The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money."
-Thomas Jefferson  
Public Children Services Association of Ohio | 614-224-5802 | www.pcsao.org
STAY CONNECTED: