Immediate Improvements Are Needed in Ohio’s Child Welfare System
July 1, 2020
By Tracy Nájera, Executive Director
In this past week, CDF-Ohio learned of a situation in Cuyahoga County where a child being “housed” at the Cuyahoga County Children’s Services Office for an extended period of time as the county searched for appropriate placement. Let’s be clear – if the child’s birth family was housing them in an office, it would not be seen as acceptable and would likely be seen as grounds for removal. Children need consistency and stability. They need to be able to build connections. They need to know that they are being cared for and taken care of. The extent of this practice and how often its used is unknown. Further, COVID-19 and the economic toll that its taking on families may result in surges in child welfare calls and put additional strains on the system. More is needed to protect vulnerable children with complex needs. CDF-Ohio issued a statement about this situation and we are calling for immediate changes and put forward policy recommendations to protect children from this in the future. We look forward to working with state and local partners in the coming weeks and months. Read the full statement here.