OHIO FAMILY & CHILDREN FIRST OHIO FAMILY & CHILDREN FIRST COORDINATORS ASSOCIATIONCOORDINATORS ASSOCIATION
CCAO Winter ConferenceCCAO Winter Conference
December 2008December 2008
Welcome!Welcome!
What are the Family and What are the Family and Children First Councils - Children First Councils -
Rooted in Ohio’s strong state commitment Rooted in Ohio’s strong state commitment to collaboration with the establishment of the to collaboration with the establishment of the children’s Cabinet Council and the Ohio children’s Cabinet Council and the Ohio Family & Children First Initiative.Family & Children First Initiative. Endorsed by Governor Ted Strickland and Endorsed by Governor Ted Strickland and connected to his Turnaround Ohio Initiative. connected to his Turnaround Ohio Initiative. Chaired by Mrs. Frances Strickland.Chaired by Mrs. Frances Strickland.
Why Family and Children First Why Family and Children First Councils are important -Councils are important -
“…“…. You can, … achieve whatever visions you . You can, … achieve whatever visions you may have by tapping into resources and may have by tapping into resources and
expertise of others…. expertise of others….
We call this We call this Collaborative AdvantageCollaborative Advantage.”.”From “Managing to Collaborate”From “Managing to Collaborate”
Chris Huxham and Siv VangenChris Huxham and Siv Vangen
FCFC Mandated MembersFCFC Mandated Members
At At least three parentsleast three parents whose families have whose families have received services of a received services of a member agencymember agency Director of Mental Director of Mental
Health and Alcohol Health and Alcohol and Drug Addiction and Drug Addiction Treatment ServicesTreatment Services
Health CommissionerHealth Commissioner Director of County Director of County
JobJob and Family and Family ServicesServices
Superintendent of Superintendent of the county Board of the county Board of Mental Retardation Mental Retardation and Developmental and Developmental DisabilitiesDisabilities
Director of County Director of County Children ServicesChildren Services
Juvenile Court Juvenile Court Judge (advisory)Judge (advisory)
Superintendent of Superintendent of the county’s largest the county’s largest School DistrictSchool District
Each County Council must include the Each County Council must include the followingfollowing
FCFC Mandated MembersFCFC Mandated Members
School superintendent School superintendent representing all other representing all other school districtsschool districts
Representative of the Representative of the County’s largest CityCounty’s largest City
President of the Board President of the Board of County of County CommissionersCommissioners
Representative of the Representative of the regional offices of the regional offices of the Department of Youth Department of Youth ServicesServices
Representative of the Representative of the county’s Head Start county’s Head Start agencyagency
Representative of the Representative of the county’s Early county’s Early Childhood Childhood Coordinating CouncilCoordinating Council
Representative of a Representative of a local nonprofit entity local nonprofit entity that funds, advocates, that funds, advocates, or provides services to or provides services to children and families children and families
Additional partners have been Additional partners have been included, e.g. United Ways, Faith, included, e.g. United Ways, Faith,
and Business Partners.and Business Partners.
Family and Children First CouncilsFamily and Children First Councils
Dynamic and Continually DevelopingDynamic and Continually Developing
What are we about - What are we about - Family and Family and
Children First Children First Councils bring Councils bring together public together public
agencies, agencies, community community
organizations, organizations, other collaborative other collaborative
partners and partners and parents committed parents committed
to:to:
Improving the well-being of Improving the well-being of children and their families.children and their families.
Streamline and coordinate existing Streamline and coordinate existing services and reducing duplication.services and reducing duplication.
Work to ensure that Ohio’s children Work to ensure that Ohio’s children will be safe, healthy, and succeed will be safe, healthy, and succeed
in school.in school.
The Family and Children First Councils The Family and Children First Councils continually challenge public agencies and continually challenge public agencies and
private partners to coordinate and streamline private partners to coordinate and streamline services to better serve children and their services to better serve children and their families and use available resources more families and use available resources more
effectively.effectively.
We do this by - We do this by -
Building Community CapacityBuilding Community Capacity – – mobilizing child and family serving mobilizing child and family serving partners to address the needs of children partners to address the needs of children and families through planning and and families through planning and implementing evidence-based programs;implementing evidence-based programs;
We do this by -We do this by -
Coordinating Systems of Service – Coordinating Systems of Service – providing a formulized venue to facilitate providing a formulized venue to facilitate the alignment of resources, polices, and the alignment of resources, polices, and services with and for children and families;services with and for children and families;
We do this by -We do this by -
Engaging and Empowering Families – Engaging and Empowering Families – recruiting and support families to become recruiting and support families to become active contributing members on Council active contributing members on Council and advocate on behalf of child and family; and advocate on behalf of child and family; andand
We do this by -We do this by -
Sharing Accountability for FCF’s Vision Sharing Accountability for FCF’s Vision – – monitoring, evaluating and monitoring, evaluating and communicating progress and successes communicating progress and successes with the commitment to assuring all with the commitment to assuring all families and children thrive.families and children thrive.
Family and Children First Councils are Family and Children First Councils are about building bridges of hope for children, about building bridges of hope for children, youth, and their families through strategic youth, and their families through strategic partnerships and collaborative problem-partnerships and collaborative problem-
solving.solving.
Family and Children First Councils Family and Children First Councils continually work to identify assets, continually work to identify assets,
strengths and needs in their county to strengths and needs in their county to develop innovative solutions that fit with develop innovative solutions that fit with
the culture and character of their the culture and character of their communities.communities.
Family and Children First CouncilsFamily and Children First Councils
Dynamic and Continually DevelopingDynamic and Continually Developing
Family and Children First Family and Children First Councils – Core MandatesCouncils – Core Mandates
Development and implementation of a Development and implementation of a process that annually evaluates and process that annually evaluates and
prioritizes services, fills service gaps where prioritizes services, fills service gaps where possible, and invents new approaches to possible, and invents new approaches to
achieve improved child well-being; achieve improved child well-being;
ORC 121.37ORC 121.37
… … development of a development of a countywide, countywide,
comprehensive, comprehensive, coordinated…system coordinated…system
for infants and toddlers for infants and toddlers with developmental with developmental disabilities or delays disabilities or delays and their and their families…families…
ORCORC 121.37121.37
Family and Children First Councils Family and Children First Councils – Core Mandates– Core Mandates
… … ensure ongoing input from a broad ensure ongoing input from a broad representation of families who are representation of families who are
receiving services within the county receiving services within the county system. - system. - ORC 121.37ORC 121.37
Family and Children First Councils Family and Children First Councils – Core Mandates– Core Mandates
Family and Children First Councils Family and Children First Councils – Core Mandates– Core Mandates
Maintenance of an accountability Maintenance of an accountability system to monitor the county council's system to monitor the county council's
progress in achieving results for progress in achieving results for families and childrenfamilies and children ORC 121.37ORC 121.37
Each county shall develop a Each county shall develop a county service coordination county service coordination
mechanismmechanism
All family service coordination plans All family service coordination plans shall be developed in accordance shall be developed in accordance with the county service coordination with the county service coordination mechanism. Each mechanism shall mechanism. Each mechanism shall include all of the following:include all of the following:
SERVICE COORDINATIONSERVICE COORDINATION
(1) Referral process(1) Referral process
(2) Team meeting and planning process(2) Team meeting and planning process
(3) Family driven process(3) Family driven process
(4) Strengths based process(4) Strengths based process
(5)Family support available(5)Family support available
(6) Tracking and monitoring outcomes(6) Tracking and monitoring outcomes
(7) Confidentiality assured(7) Confidentiality assured
(8) Due process available(8) Due process available
Family and Children First CouncilsFamily and Children First Councils New Requirements of HB 289New Requirements of HB 289
Establishing local indicators Establishing local indicators and monitoring the county's and monitoring the county's progress toward increasing progress toward increasing
child well-being.child well-being.A … process to identify local A … process to identify local
priorities to increase child well-priorities to increase child well-being.being.
Family and Children First Councils Family and Children First Councils New Requirements of HB 289New Requirements of HB 289
Local priorities focus on Ohio’s Local priorities focus on Ohio’s Commitments to child well-being:Commitments to child well-being:
Expectant parents and newborns Expectant parents and newborns thriving;thriving;
Infants and toddlers thriving; Infants and toddlers thriving; Children being ready for school; Children being ready for school; Children and youth succeeding in Children and youth succeeding in
school; school; Youth choosing healthy behaviors; and Youth choosing healthy behaviors; and Youth successfully transitioning into Youth successfully transitioning into
adulthoodadulthood
Family and Children First Councils Family and Children First Councils – New Requirements of HB 289– New Requirements of HB 289
Development of a four-year Development of a four-year strategic plan that identifies the strategic plan that identifies the county's interagency efforts to county's interagency efforts to
increase child well-being.increase child well-being.
Report annually to the County Report annually to the County Commissioners and the State Commissioners and the State Cabinet Council on progress Cabinet Council on progress made in improving child well-made in improving child well-
beingbeing
Local Strategic Planning for Local Strategic Planning for Emerging Issues – HB289Emerging Issues – HB289
Guernsey County & Madison County Guernsey County & Madison County
How Does FCFCs Effect How Does FCFCs Effect You???You???
What can you do…What can you do…Continue to support the Ohio Family and Continue to support the Ohio Family and
Children First InitiativeChildren First Initiative and local Councils and local Councils
1.1. Ensuring that local planning and decision-Ensuring that local planning and decision-making related to achieving positive making related to achieving positive outcomes for children and families occurs outcomes for children and families occurs through the County Family and Children through the County Family and Children First Council.First Council.
2.2. Strengthening and supporting the role of Strengthening and supporting the role of the Family and Children First Councils in the Family and Children First Councils in ensuring strong inter-system coordination ensuring strong inter-system coordination to reduce duplication of services and to reduce duplication of services and barriers to children and families who need barriers to children and families who need services.services.
For more information, For more information, presentations, position presentations, position
papers, resources, local papers, resources, local council contact information council contact information
and Annual Report please visitand Annual Report please visit
www.ofcfca.orgwww.ofcfca.org
Help us to continue to build Help us to continue to build upon our successes!upon our successes!
Thank You!Thank You!
CONTACTS:CONTACTS: Carol Lichtenwalter, PresidentCarol Lichtenwalter, President
Ohio Family & Children First Coordinators’ AssociationOhio Family & Children First Coordinators’ Association Phone: (330) 455-1225, ext. 304Phone: (330) 455-1225, ext. 304 Email: Email: [email protected]
Chad Hibbs, DirectorChad Hibbs, Director Guernsey County Family & Children First CouncilGuernsey County Family & Children First Council Phone: (740) 432-6815Phone: (740) 432-6815 Email: Email: [email protected]
Saundra LaPrise, Executive DirectorSaundra LaPrise, Executive Director Madison County Family & Children First CouncilMadison County Family & Children First Council Phone: (740) 852-0339Phone: (740) 852-0339 Email: Email: [email protected]
