PCSAO Weekly Update: February 17, 2026

Weekly Update: February 17, 2026

Association News

Gov. DeWine, DCY announce $20 million for child wellness campuses

Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth announced $20 million to create four new child wellness campuses and expand two existing campuses that serve youth with complex needs. Investment in child wellness campuses was a priority in PCSAO’s budget advocacy and represents a major milestone in our push for community-based, trauma-reducing placement options closer to home. The new and expanded campuses will provide an alternative to unlicensed and out-of-state placements while providing safe, therapeutic environments focused on stabilization and healing. Read the governor's news release.

OCWTP hears presentation on practice model

The Ohio Child Welfare Training Program Steering Committee met Feb. 11 for its monthly meeting. PCSAO’s Mike Kenney presented on the shared practice model, Practice in Action Together (PACT). Reports were provided by DCY, PCSAO, the Regional Training Centers, and the training manager OUCCAS. Discussion included federal reporting and the search for new steering committee members. The next meeting will be March 11.

Ohio START

Ashtabula County celebrates Ohio START certification

The Ohio START team traveled to Ashtabula County to celebrate the county's certification in the START model. Community partners joined the event to recognize this important milestone and the county’s commitment to serving families with fidelity. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the team’s hard work and the strong collaboration supporting START in Ashtabula County.

RFP for Family Peer Mentor TA Consultant

Ohio START is seeking proposals from Ohio-based organizations to employ and supervise a Family Peer Mentor Technical Assistance Consultant. This role will advance both the Ohio START and COSTARS (Cross Systems Technical Assistance for Retaining Staff) initiatives, supporting family peer mentors statewide and strengthening cross‑system collaboration for families affected by substance use disorders and child maltreatment. PCSAO invites qualified organizations to review the Request for Proposals. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 27.

Save the Date: 2026 Ohio START Summit

The 2026 Ohio START Summit will take place May 4-5 at The Ohioan Hotel & Event Center in Lewis Center. This event brings together more than 200 caseworkers, supervisors, behavioral health providers, and family peer mentors for networking and learning how best to serve Ohio's families affected by co-occurring child maltreatment and substance use disorder. Registration is anticipated to open in March. See the event website for more details.

Sponsorships opportunities

The Ohio START Summit is a great opportunity to reach Ohio professionals serving families affected by substance use and child-maltreatment. Sponsors can benefit from face-to-face networking, brand promotion, and more! See the sponsorship flyer for more details and sign up as a sponsor by April 6.

Ohio START award nominations

Each year, Ohio START presents awards to outstanding agency staff and partners, as well as the families they serve. Ohio START award recipients embody the values of Ohio START and go above and beyond for their team, clients, and communities. Winners and their loved ones will be invited to join us for the awards presentation held during the 2026 Ohio START Annual Summit on May 4-5. Nominations can be submitted by public children services agencies and their staff, Ohio START team members, and partners working directly with Ohio START teams on Ohio START cases. See the flyer to learn more, and complete the nomination here by Feb. 27.

Rules Update

Clearance

The following rules are open for comments until Feb. 20:

Chapter 9 Residential Facility Rules

Filed with JCARR

The following rule was final-filed on Feb. 6 with an effective date of Feb. 16:

Rule 5101:9-6-24 - Multi-system youth (MSY) funding.

The following rules were original-filed on Feb. 12 with a hearing on March 19:

Rule 5180:2-38-08 - Child's education and health information.
Rule 5180:5-1-01 - Administration of bridges.
Rule 5180:5-50-01 - Administration of bridges.

Resources and Clips

Resources and Opportunities

More data about Ohio court cases accessible in expanded dashboards

Interactive dashboards that produce visual data on cases and caseloads from courts across the state have been enhanced by the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Judges in Ohio courts of appeals, common pleas courts, municipal courts, and county courts are required to report statistics and case processing timelines to the Supreme Court Case Management Section. The interactive dashboards transform these complex statistics into informative graphics and tables to assist the public, news media, and courts. View the dashboards here.

2026 Mental Health and Addiction Conference

Sponsors and exhibitors are invited to join the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) for Ohio’s 2026 Mental Health and Addiction Conference: "Inspiring a Stronger Tomorrow" on June 1-2 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. This 16th annual two-day conference will focus on efforts related to mental health and addiction prevention, education, intervention, treatment, recovery, family supports, community engagement, and more. The conference will help advance the resources and knowledge essential for communities to provide support to those in need. Learn more and register here.

Help shape future statutory changes for DCY programs

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is beginning early planning for potential statutory proposals for the SFY 2028-2029 budget process. As part of this effort, DCY is inviting partners and stakeholders to share ideas for Ohio Revised Code (ORC) changes that could improve the administration of DCY programs and better support children, families, and providers.

DCY is particularly interested in feedback on:

Statutory language that creates barriers or unintended consequences
Areas where statute may be unclear, outdated, or inconsistent with current practice
Opportunities to improve efficiency, alignment, or service delivery

Stakeholders may submit multiple suggestions, including proposed changes to more than one ORC section. Submit your feedback here by March 31.

ACF launches new public dashboard on state child welfare performance

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently launched a new public dashboard showing state-by-state performance data on critical child safety and permanency outcomes. Previously, these seven performance indicators were only shared internally within the Children's Bureau and state systems. ACF will update the dashboard bi-annually to provide consistent information of states’ progress. As states join ACF’s new Program Improvement Plan, additional data on key measures will be updated monthly.

DCY Tuesday Times

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth shares updates and other information pertaining to children services and related program areas in the Tuesday Times newsletter. To view previous versions of the Tuesday Times, click here.

Child Protection in the News

Feb. 13 – Ohio aims to keep children closer to home with new wellness campuses – Spectrum News

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the Department of Children and Youth (DCY) announced funding for current and future child wellness campuses that aim to provide therapeutic care for children and youth with complex needs. The goal is to keep children closer to home.

Feb. 13 – Bipartisan bill would end child marriage in Ohio – Ohio Capital Journal

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would outlaw child marriage in Ohio. “No child should have to be as resilient as I was to reach adulthood,” child marriage survivor Stephanie Lowry said.

Feb. 12 – What happens to U.S. citizen children if Haitians with TPS are deported? – Columbus Dispatch

Hundreds of Haitian parents living in Ohio under a temporary legal status are faced with making the impossible decision about what will happen to their children if they are detained or deported.

Feb. 12 – New Ohio House bill on transgender child welfare takes aim at courts and agencies – Cleveland Plain Dealer

A new Republican-sponsored bill in the Ohio House would prohibit judges, county children’s services agencies and other entities from making child welfare decisions based on whether a parent or guardian affirms a transgender child’s identity and transition.

Feb. 11 – Hamilton County mothers graduate from court-supervised program for sobriety – WLWT5 Cincinnati (NBC)

Four Hamilton County mothers are celebrating a major milestone—graduating from a rigorous, court-supervised program designed to help parents overcome substance use and reunite with their children.

Feb. 6 – Ohio legislators are wrestling with a simple-sounding question, but it's trickier than it looks – Cleveland.com

Ohio lawmakers are debating how best to address a simple sounding question: What should happen when a child can’t safely go home?

Calendar and Job Postings