http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/08/13/feds-fine-ohio-for-failings-in-2008-review-of-child-welfare.html
This article talks about how Ohio Child Welfare agencies were fined $3.8 million. This was not a shock to the state, as Ohio only met four of fourteen criteria on the federal Child and Family Services Review standards in 2008. However, they created an improvement plan and met many of the goals by 2012. The only standards the state did not meet were on recurrence of maltreatment and on child and parent visitation. Due to the fact the state was working improvements, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suspended the fine in 2008 was suspended. However, the recently lifted the suspension.
“I don’t want to downplay the importance of the federal measures, because we should be held to standards, but some of these make it really hard,” said Scott Britton of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.
Even though the child welfare system is implemented by individual counties, the state paid the fine for the counties.
I find it very interesting that the data in 2008 was taken from only 3 counties in Ohio. But the data after the improvement plan was made, data was collected from all 88 counties in Ohio.
I have a close relationship with Scott so I spoke to him briefly about this article. Told him he was quoted in a blog for one of my classes and it sparked a conversation. Because the sample size are so small it makes it difficult to sometimes reach the standards but the state has been working diligently to improve and meet federal standards.I've attended a couple of meeting where Jennifer Justice (deputy director, ODJFS) has worked with the county administrators to assure they reach their standards. Comparatively the fine is very small since the federal government funds almost 40 percent of child welfare funding. However, even the small fine matters since the state of Ohio continues to decrease child welfare funding. Currently the state only funds 9%.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very interesting that there are such big fines for those projects that are meant to help the most vulnerable of people. Yes, there needs to be accountability, but it must be taken into consideration that those who are served by child welfare agencies may also impact its constituents. Tara's comment shows that even the smaller fines matter and that this is an issue that is needing to be addressed, which it appears to be in the process of doing.
ReplyDelete