Agency's goal is to protect children AND help families in need

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November 2, 2009

November is designated as National Adoption Month, a time set aside to honor selfless men, women and families who accept children into their homes and love them as their own.

Richland County Children Services salutes all local adoptive families, as well as the many foster families who provide more temporary homes for youngsters in need.

If not for adoptive and foster homes, many children here and around the country could face bleak and troubled futures.

But experts in the field of child development say that nothing can top the love and care children receive in their own homes from their own biological families – providing those homes are stable, safe and nurturing environments.

That’s why, even during National Adoption Month, the No. 1 goal for Richland County Children Services is to work every day to protect and assist local youngsters by providing support and resources their parents and families need to create just those kinds of home environments.

Perhaps the biggest misconception about Richland County Children Services is the belief that the agency exists to come into local homes and remove children from their families. The exact opposite is a more accurate description.

This agency is not in the business of raising children. It no longer has group residences and/or group homes in which to place children. Those days are long gone, witnessed by the rapid decline in the number of children in agency custody.

Consider these numbers as proof.

In 2002, Richland County Children Services received custody of 163 children at some point during the year. That number dipped down to 84 in 2008 and is trending to finish around 44 in 2009. That is a decline of 73 percent in just eight years.

In 2002, Richland County children were in placement outside of their own homes a total of 72,720 days. That number declined to 22,937 in 2007 and to 20,719 in 2008. If current trend holds, we will finish 2009 with about 17,200 placement days. That is a decline of more than 76 percent in just eight years.

That doesn’t mean the agency is simple leaving kids in their own homes in dangerous situations. We will move quickly to remove kids who have been abused, neglected or dependent. Child safety will always be Job 1 for Richland County Children Services.

We are accomplishing that goal by providing families with a network of support and resources aimed at strengthening families and giving them the tools necessary to provide safe, nurturing homes for their own children.

It’s a strategy that works. Again, here is evidence to prove that it’s working.

By all applicable federal and state standards, RCCS exceeds expectations in terms of keeping children safe in areas of safety, permanency, timeliness of adoption and placement stability. In fact, compared to state averages, your child protective agency operates far more effectively than most other protective agencies around Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family services in September conducted a thorough review of the agency with its Child Protection Oversight and Evaluation. In a letter accompanying the final report, the state agency said, “…we congratulate you for your exceptional performance in the review.”

It’s worth noting ODJFS ordered no quality improvement plans in any area it measured. That means RCCS is doing its job well in all areas.

Perhaps even more remarkable is the fact Richland County Children Services provides these successful outcomes even as it receives record numbers of calls from area residents worried about potentially endangered children.

In 2002, the agency received 5, 936 total calls. That number spiked to 7,020 in 2006 and is on pace in 2009 to top the 7,500 mark. In 2002, the agency launched 1,675 investigations based upon those calls. That rose to 2,131 in 2008 and is on pace for 2,802 in 2009.

Clearly, the demand for efforts provided by Richland County Children Services continues to rise.

The good news is the agency is prepared, organized and ready to assist any area families in need. The better news is we want to accomplish our goal of child safety while area residents keep their own children in their own homes.

It’s comparable to fighting a fire. If all the agency does is rush in and remove children from their homes, we may succeed in extinguishing that particular blaze. But by working with moms, dads and families and helping them succeed, we attack the cause of the fire and help to prevent it from flaring up again.

If you have questions about Richland County Children Services, or if you want to report children you believe have been abused or neglected, call the agency 24/7 at 419-747-4100.

(Carl Hunnell is the communications supervisor for Richland County Children Services. You can contact him at 419-774-4104 or via e-mail at hunnec@odjfs.state.oh.us.)

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