Marion County, Ohio Children Services
The December 15, 2017 regular meeting of the Marion County Children Services Board has been canceled. The next meeting will occur on January 19, 2018 at noon at Marion County Children Services.
Click here to learn more about the Board, their work, and upcoming meetings.
Its 1:30 in the morning and the phone rings. Marion Police Department. A female victim in the home has overdosed, unresponsive to emergency treatment. The officer says there are three unattended children under the age of 5 in the home and in need of immediate care. It’s hard to imagine this call, but it is a reality for child protection workers. Over the recent years, the opiate epidemic has ravaged Marion County and is leaving families broken, and vulnerable children in its wake. Sometimes, the voices that you do not hear, are the ones most in need of help. These voices, the silent victims, are the ones left unheard, but are severely impacted by this opiate epidemic.
What used to be sporadic occurrences of responding to drug raids or overdoses where children were present has now become common practice. Marion County Children Services provided services in 2016 to 1 out of every 8 children in the county. As of September of 2016, 86% of our court involved cases involved drug related concerns. Our caseworkers are now first-responders to opioid-related concerns which are complex and require intensive case management. Marion is not alone in this struggle. Ohio has been ranked #1 in the nation for the number of heroin deaths and #1 for synthetic drug overdoses.
Parental substance abuse remains the primary reason for children to be removed from their homes and placed in foster care in Marion. In the past 5 years, Marion County alone experienced a 56% increase in the number of children unable to be safe in their own homes requiring foster care. In 2016, the median number of days in temporary custody has increased from 121 days in 2010, to 331 days in 2016. Over 50% of the children in foster care are 0 – 5 years of age. With the increase in the number of children requiring safety, we simply do not have enough foster homes to fill the need requiring to place the children outside of their community. In January of 2017, Marion County Children Services had 38 foster homes available to care for 67 children.
Experience and training has proven that children placed with family or friends reduces stress considerably that results from being removed from their family. We rely greatly on family members of the children. We have increased our placements with family or friends over 100% since 2010. However, appreciation alone does not assist our family members willing to take in these children. They face significant challenges taking on additional children at a minutes notice and a lack of available assistance to help with these situations.
With a drastic rise in need for our services, Ohio’s child protection system has received no new state dollars to address this epidemic. In fact, the system experienced a 21% reduction in state funding specific to local children services agencies in 2008, and have not received any further funding since 2010. Our placement costs have increased 98% in the past three years. Ohio continues to be 50th in the nation for state money that is given to children services agencies. If Ohio would double the money it gives to its local child protection agencies, Ohio would still rank 50th.
Child protection workers, who are responsible for protecting abused and neglected children are overwhelmed with the rising number and complexity of cases. We are averaging 24% caseworker turnover in the past 3 years. Staff are leaving child protection for less stressful, and better paying jobs. Without new resources, they cannot meet the demands they are facing.
We are incredibly fortunate to provide child protection services in Marion, Ohio; a community with a long standing history of supporting our efforts through a local levy tax. Over 40% of our operating funds are generated by a 2.12 mill levy based off of 1989 property values. This alone, however, is unable to keep up with the needs of the community and the children of Marion County. Child protection agencies in Ohio need help to provide essential services to our vulnerable children-the silent victims of the opiate crisis. Now is the time to invest in our future by supporting and protecting our children.
Marion County Children Services has named four employees of the year for 2016.
Those recognized include Francis Hernandez, supervisory staff; Mandy Davis and Ellen Thrush, caseworkers; and Dempsey Slone, support services.
Marion County Children Services’ mission is to lead the community in the protection of children by working with families to promote, develop, and maintain safe and permanent homes. According to the agency, “Our employees of the year exemplify the goals and outcomes we wish to achieve.”
The reasons for their recognition include:
Francis Hernandez- Placement Supervisor. “Only a supervisor for a short time, she took the reins and ran with them. She is the model of leadership and strives to make the employees that work for her better on a daily basis. She knows how to get work done.”
Ellen Thrush- Intake Caseworker. “Ellen came in a little over a year ago, hit the ground running, and hasn’t stopped since. She is all that you would want in a worker who has years of experience, but always willing to learn. She is compassionate with her families, and always wants to see them succeed, and is there to support them through the process.”
Mandy Davis- Intake Caseworker. ” Mandy is everything you could ask for in a seasoned worker. She is always willing to help new staff learn the “ropes” and go above and beyond what is asked of her. Her strong connections with law enforcement have helped streamline a lot of processes that occur between the agencies.”
Dempsey Slone- Maintenance. “Dempsey is not only the nicest guy you will ever meet, he is the glue that holds Children Services together. From fixing things we break without a second thought, to coming in early to ensure all the walkways are free of snow and safe for us to walk on, without Dempsey, it would be impossible for the casework staff to complete their jobs.”
2017 Marion County Workshops
***January 7th (Saturday, 9am-12PM) OR January 12th (Thursday, 6pm-9pm) ***
Mandatory training: Foster Care Policies, Rules and Procedures.
Register with TONI. This is NOT an E-TRACK TRAINING
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE EITHER TRAINING, PLEASE LET TONI KNOW.
(ITP-Part of the Child Protective Team)
January 31st (Tuesday, 9am-4pm)
Child Abuse & Neglect Identification and Reporting Training Register: Bryant Brown
740-386-0414 or bryant.brown@jfs.ohio.gov
(ITP: The Dynamics of Abuse and Neglect and Impact of Abuse and Neglect)
January 28th (Saturday, 9am-4pm) E-Track: 990-26-NOS
Red Cross First Aid and Adult & Pediatric CPR with AED Trainer: Heather Killen
(ITP: Other Required Trainings)
February 11th (Saturday, 9am-4pm) E- Track: 941-FF14-S
Fostering Self-Reliance in Children & Youth: Roots & Wings Trainer: Jamole Callahan
(ITP: IL and Impact of Abuse and Neglect on Development)
March 1st (Wednesday, 6pm-9 pm) E-Track: 949-20
Impacting Visitation for Success Trainer: Anthony President
(ITP: Culture and Working with Children’s Families)
April 7th (Friday, 9am-4pm)
Child Abuse & Neglect Identification and Reporting Training Register: Bryant Brown
740-386-0414 or bryant.brown@jfs.ohio.gov
(ITP: The Dynamics of Abuse and Neglect and Impact of Abuse and Neglect)
April 8th (Saturday, 9am-12pm) E-Track: 922-25
Strengthening the Child Welfare Team: Who, What, Where, When and How for the
Best Interest of the Child
(ITP: Part of the Child Protective Team)
April 8th (Saturday, 1pm-4pm) E-Track: 943-1
Dealing with the Impact of Early Sexual Trauma Trainer: David Zidar
(ITP: Caring for the Sexually Abused Child)
May 6th (Saturday, 9am-4pm) E-Track: 925-139
Trauma-Informed Discipline: What Caregivers Need to Know Trainer: Anthony President (ITP: Behavior Management Techniques)
June 20th (Tuesday, 6pm-9pm) E-Track: 988-16
It’s Not the Brady Bunch: Family Effects of Addiction Trainer: Brian Bethel
(ITP: Substance Abuse and Dependency)
August 19th (Saturday, 9am-4pm) E-Track: 928-8
Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Roller Coaster Ride is Beginning! Helping Children Deal with the Emotions Before and After Parental Visits Trainer: Linda Davis
(ITP: Working with Children’s Families)
August 24th (Thursday, 9am-4pm)
Child Abuse & Neglect Identification and Reporting Training Register: Bryant Brown
740-386-0414 or bryant.brown@jfs.ohio.gov
(ITP: The Dynamics of Abuse and Neglect and Impact of Abuse and Neglect)
September 9th (Saturday, 9am-4pm) E-Track: 989-9
Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: Ways to Manage Stress Trainer: Linda Davis
(ITP: Effects of Caregiving on Families)
October: TBD
October 14th (Saturday, 9am-4pm)
Child Abuse & Neglect Identification and Reporting Training Register: Bryant Brown
740-386-0414 or bryant.brown@jfs.ohio.gov
(ITP: The Dynamics of Abuse and Neglect and Impact of Abuse and Neglect)
November 28th (Tuesday, 6pm-9pm) E-Track: 995-56
Diagnosis Unknown: A Layman’s Guide to Mental and Emotional Disorders
(ITP: Symptoms of Mental Illness/Learning Disorders) Trainer: Brian Bethel
Fall 2017 Marathon Weekends* Foster/Adopt Training Program * Complete training in three weekends!
Trainer: Lynne Anderson
Beginning January 1, 2009, all persons being recommended for licensure as caregivers must have completed the following 36-hour Preservice training, delivered in 12 three-hour sessions.
Friday, November 3, 2017
Session 1: Orientation to Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care 6pm-9pm
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Session 2: The Child Protection Team 9am-12pm
Session 3: Child Development 1pm-4pm
Session 4: Trauma and its Effects 4:30pm-7:30pm
Friday, November 10, 2017
Session 5: Child Sexual Abuse 6pm-9pm
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Session 6: Minimizing the Trauma of Placement 9am-12pm
Session 7: Transcending Differences in Placement 1pm-4pm
Session 8: Helping the Child Manage Emotions and Behaviors 4:30pm-7:30pm
Friday, November 17, 2017
Session 9: Understanding Primary Families 6pm-9pm
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Session 10: The Effects of Caregiving on the Caregiver Family 9am-12pm
Session 11: Long-Term Separation from Birth Parents 1pm-4pm
Session 12: Post Adoption Issues For Families 4:30pm-7:30pm
*All trainings are held at Marion County Children Services unless otherwise noted. For more information or to pre-register call Training Coordinator Toni Cornwell-Fisher at 740-389-2317 or email to toni.fisher@jfs.ohio.gov
For training schedules in other counties, please visit: www.ocwtp.net/cortc.html
Choose training calendars at the top of the page
Scroll down and click Foster/Adoptive parent training calendar