Departments
Assessment / Investigation
The Unit is comprised of 2 Traditional worker, 2 Alternative Response workers and the Supervisor.
When a report is received, it is reviewed by our Intake department. If the report does not require a full investigation but the Intake department is told about other family problems, referrals will be made to appropriate community agencies.
Once an Investigation is screened in, a response pathway is chosen. An investigation can be Traditional Response or Alternative Response. Please see details regarding Alternative Response here.
If an investigation is necessary, an Investigation caseworker is assigned. All investigation begins within 24 hours. In the case of emergencies, someone is working on the case within one hour.
The caseworker interviews all of the children and adults in the home, and uses a risk assessment process to assist them in determining whether the children are safe in their current environment.
If the caseworker finds no basis for the allegations and there is little or no risk in the home, the investigation is closed.
Sometimes a child is in danger. At this point, the caseworker and supervisor determine if the family will accept our help to protect the child. Intake staff offers services to the family to help them change the behavior causing risk to the child.
In some cases, because of the severity of the abuse or neglect, immediate action through Juvenile Court must be taken to order the family to cooperate with the agency or to remove the child from the home.
If there are concerns that a crime has been committed, our community's law enforcement agencies become involved in the investigation.
THE AGENCY'S FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERN IS THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF THE CHILD, AND ALL EFFORTS ARE MADE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN HIS OR HER OWN HOME.
When a report is received, it is reviewed by our Intake department. If the report does not require a full investigation but the Intake department is told about other family problems, referrals will be made to appropriate community agencies.
Once an Investigation is screened in, a response pathway is chosen. An investigation can be Traditional Response or Alternative Response. Please see details regarding Alternative Response here.
If an investigation is necessary, an Investigation caseworker is assigned. All investigation begins within 24 hours. In the case of emergencies, someone is working on the case within one hour.
The caseworker interviews all of the children and adults in the home, and uses a risk assessment process to assist them in determining whether the children are safe in their current environment.
If the caseworker finds no basis for the allegations and there is little or no risk in the home, the investigation is closed.
Sometimes a child is in danger. At this point, the caseworker and supervisor determine if the family will accept our help to protect the child. Intake staff offers services to the family to help them change the behavior causing risk to the child.
In some cases, because of the severity of the abuse or neglect, immediate action through Juvenile Court must be taken to order the family to cooperate with the agency or to remove the child from the home.
If there are concerns that a crime has been committed, our community's law enforcement agencies become involved in the investigation.
THE AGENCY'S FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERN IS THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF THE CHILD, AND ALL EFFORTS ARE MADE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN HIS OR HER OWN HOME.
Ongoing
The Ongoing Unit is comprised of 6 Ongoing workers and 2 Supervisors.
In-Home Supportive Services:
As the result of an investigation, the agency may learn that there are ongoing concerns in a family that could cause harm to a child. The family is asked to agree to a voluntary In-Home Supportive Service case. This way, a child can remain in the home while the concerns are being addressed.
A caseworker develops a case plan with the family. This plan focuses on the identified risk as well as the strengths of the family.
The caseworker helps the family obtain services through the agency or through referrals to other community resources.
We continue to assess risk to the child and to monitor the parent's progress with the case plan.
Protective Supervision:
If the caseworker's assessment determines that problems in the home might place a child at risk, but the parents are unwilling to work voluntarily with the agency, a complaint may be filed in Juvenile Court requesting an order of Protective Supervision.
If the court approves, the family will be ordered to comply with the services addressed in the case plan. These services are focused on providing a safe and healthy environment while maintaining the child in the home.
Sometimes parents will still not comply, and the risk to the child requires that the agency move swiftly. Further court actions allow us to assure that the child is protected.
Placement/Out of Home Care:
If it becomes necessary to remove children from the care of a parent, the agency must petition Logan County Juvenile Court for custody of the children. If the court grants custody to the agency, the children will need a temporary home. Relatives are the first consideration when placement is needed in order to keep a child's life as normal as possible.
Foster Care Services:
When no appropriate friends or relatives are available, the agency must rely on the assistance of foster parents. The agency contract with local agencies which provide foster homes for children in the agency's custody. These foster parents are licensed through the Ohio Department of Human Services and receive pre-service and on-going training in working with children placed in their homes. We attempt to match the needs of the child with the strengths of the foster family.
Adoption Services:
When children are unable to be safely reunited with their families and are placed in the permanent custody of the Agency by Juvenile Court, they become available for adoption.
Many of these children are older, have siblings, or special needs. The Purchased Care Facilitator works to locate families and match them with children who need a permanent home.
Adoptive parents may qualify for financial assistance to help them support their adoptive children.
All the children available for adoption are currently in some form of foster care setting. This means the parental rights of the child's parents have been terminated, making the child legally free for adoption.
Planned Permanent Living Arrangement:
PPLA stands for Planned Permanent Living Arrangement. It is a legal custody status that can be requested when it is thought that Permanent Custody would not be a good option for a child. An example is a child whose parents cannot care for him/her due to the child’s special needs but it is thought that they are bonded and it would be detrimental to the child to terminate parental rights.
In PPLA cases, it is still important that the child have a stable placement in one home. These children work on Independent Living skills to prepare them to live on their own as adults.
Independent Living Services:
When a child in custody turns 16 years old, the Agency must provide Independent Living services to that child.
The agency assesses the youth’s independent living skills and then develops an independent living plan with them and their caregivers to teach them skills in the areas they are deficient. This can be done through classes, through one on one instruction and through real life experiences.
These services continue until the youth ages out of foster care, usually upon graduation from high school.
Foster parents are instrumental in carrying out the youth’s Independent Living Plan. Once a youth is no longer in foster care, they can still receive services from the Agency on a voluntary basis to assist with their launch to adulthood.
In-Home Supportive Services:
As the result of an investigation, the agency may learn that there are ongoing concerns in a family that could cause harm to a child. The family is asked to agree to a voluntary In-Home Supportive Service case. This way, a child can remain in the home while the concerns are being addressed.
A caseworker develops a case plan with the family. This plan focuses on the identified risk as well as the strengths of the family.
The caseworker helps the family obtain services through the agency or through referrals to other community resources.
We continue to assess risk to the child and to monitor the parent's progress with the case plan.
Protective Supervision:
If the caseworker's assessment determines that problems in the home might place a child at risk, but the parents are unwilling to work voluntarily with the agency, a complaint may be filed in Juvenile Court requesting an order of Protective Supervision.
If the court approves, the family will be ordered to comply with the services addressed in the case plan. These services are focused on providing a safe and healthy environment while maintaining the child in the home.
Sometimes parents will still not comply, and the risk to the child requires that the agency move swiftly. Further court actions allow us to assure that the child is protected.
Placement/Out of Home Care:
If it becomes necessary to remove children from the care of a parent, the agency must petition Logan County Juvenile Court for custody of the children. If the court grants custody to the agency, the children will need a temporary home. Relatives are the first consideration when placement is needed in order to keep a child's life as normal as possible.
Foster Care Services:
When no appropriate friends or relatives are available, the agency must rely on the assistance of foster parents. The agency contract with local agencies which provide foster homes for children in the agency's custody. These foster parents are licensed through the Ohio Department of Human Services and receive pre-service and on-going training in working with children placed in their homes. We attempt to match the needs of the child with the strengths of the foster family.
Adoption Services:
When children are unable to be safely reunited with their families and are placed in the permanent custody of the Agency by Juvenile Court, they become available for adoption.
Many of these children are older, have siblings, or special needs. The Purchased Care Facilitator works to locate families and match them with children who need a permanent home.
Adoptive parents may qualify for financial assistance to help them support their adoptive children.
All the children available for adoption are currently in some form of foster care setting. This means the parental rights of the child's parents have been terminated, making the child legally free for adoption.
Planned Permanent Living Arrangement:
PPLA stands for Planned Permanent Living Arrangement. It is a legal custody status that can be requested when it is thought that Permanent Custody would not be a good option for a child. An example is a child whose parents cannot care for him/her due to the child’s special needs but it is thought that they are bonded and it would be detrimental to the child to terminate parental rights.
In PPLA cases, it is still important that the child have a stable placement in one home. These children work on Independent Living skills to prepare them to live on their own as adults.
Independent Living Services:
When a child in custody turns 16 years old, the Agency must provide Independent Living services to that child.
The agency assesses the youth’s independent living skills and then develops an independent living plan with them and their caregivers to teach them skills in the areas they are deficient. This can be done through classes, through one on one instruction and through real life experiences.
These services continue until the youth ages out of foster care, usually upon graduation from high school.
Foster parents are instrumental in carrying out the youth’s Independent Living Plan. Once a youth is no longer in foster care, they can still receive services from the Agency on a voluntary basis to assist with their launch to adulthood.
Quality Assurance
In a continuing effort to provide optional services to Logan County families, Logan Children’s Services continues to complete regular internal Quality Assurance Audits. The Audits make it possible for the Agency to evaluate service program areas ensuring that Logan County families continue to receive high quality services and the agency is in full compliance with Ohio law as well as federal guidelines regarding the protection and permanency of children.