Exciting News! A Statewide Initiative to "Strengthen and standardize the Process for Negotiation of Adoption Assistance
Foster and Adoptive Parents are invited to participate.
I have some exciting news from Karen McGormley, in the Office of Families and Children in the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). Karen has been an invaluable contact at the state, particularly with respect to her consistent efforts to reform the Title IV-E Adoption Assistance program. Karen has always been responsive to my inquiries, not matter how weird they seemed. She has already been instrumental in the operation of more supportive Post Adoption Special Services Subsidy (PASSS) and the implementation of Ohio’s 2023 Adoption Grant program.
On August 23, 2023, ODJFS Deputy Director Jefferey Van Deusen announced an initiative by the Office of Children and Families to “strengthen and standardize” the procedure for negotiating IV-E Adoption Assistance payments across the state. Karen will play a key role in the initiative.
Tim’s Pitch
You, the readers of this humble publication, as well as foster and adoptive families across the Buckeye State who have managed by sheer luck to elude this publication may participate. Reform efforts will encounter financial obstacles and political realties along the way, but I strongly urge you to get involved. There have been notable improvements in the adoption assistance program in the form of increased state financing, mediation and the advocacy of assertive, better-informed parents.
We have been working toward this opportunity for decades. The time seems right. State officials have never been as knowledgeable about chronic problems in adoption assistance or as committed to addressing them. In fact, I cannot remember the state ever taking up the issue of negotiating adoption assistance on a systemic basis. For most of its history, determination of adoption assistance was a county by county free for all, frequently devoid of negotiation.
“Strengthening and Standardizing” the negotiation of adoption assistance was a major recommendation in the Governor’s Children Services Transformation (CST) Final Report. So, we know that the initiative has support from the DeWine Administration. We don’t know how much can ultimately be accomplished, but there is good chance that we can build on the progress that has taken place in the last few years.
The ODJFS Letter Announcing the Initiative
The following is the text of the letter announcing the initiative.
OFFICE OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
Families and Children Letter FCL #119
TO: Directors and Administrators, Public Children Services Agencies, Directors and Administrators, Private Child Placing Agencies.
Directors and Administrators, Private Non-Custodial Agencies
FROM: Jeffery Van Deusen, Deputy Director
Office of Families and Children
DATE: August 23, 2023
SUBJECT: Adoption Assistance (AA) Negotiation Information Sessions: Stakeholder Input and Feedback
Background
The Governor’s Children Services Transformation (CST) Final Report recommended Ohio strengthen and standardize the adoption subsidy negotiation processes. As part of this work, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) increased the state match effective January 1st, 2023. The next stage of work is the engagement of stakeholders to ensure all impacted voices are heard and feedback included in the development and implementation of a new process.
ODJFS is requesting your assistance with helping to enhance adoption services in Ohio. We are working to improve adoption subsidy negotiations in Ohio by looking at how to standardize and strengthen the AA negotiation process. We are seeking stakeholder input as we begin looking at a structured AA process that will make negotiations less challenging. The subsidy negotiation process should be a simplified, consistent process prioritizing necessary long-term support, while preserving children’s permanency without being burdensome on PCSAs and families. We hope to receive a variety of input and feedback from agencies, as well as foster and adoptive families across the state. We want to learn from a variety of experiences and hear suggestions on how we can improve the process.
Purpose
The purpose of this Families and Children Letter (FCL) is to inform agencies and foster/adoptive families of upcoming Information Sessions.
ODJFS is facilitating four information sessions, via virtual Teams meetings, to obtain input and feedback on a structured AA process that will be standardized across the state. The sessions will be an opportunity to hear feedback and recommendations from foster/adoptive parents and agency stakeholders as well as brainstorm creative and exciting possibilities for AA negotiations in the future.
We are also asking agencies to forward this FCL on to their foster/adoptive families to ensure families are well represented.
Intended Audience
The intended audience for the AA Negotiation Information Sessions are PCSAs, private agencies and foster and adoptive families.
Information Sessions
Session 1: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Agency Attendance). Registration ends on September 11th at 5:00 PM.
Session 2: Thursday, September 14, 2023 – 5:00 pm – 6:00 PM (Foster/Adoptive Families). Registration ends on September 13th at 5:00 PM.
Session 3: Monday, September 18, 2023 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Agency Attendance). Registration ends on September 17th at 5:00 PM.
Session 4: Thursday, September 28, 2023 – 5:00 pm – 6:00 PM (Foster/Adoptive Families). Registration ends on September 27th at 5:00 PM.
Participants who are interested in attending one of these sessions will need to complete the registration through the following link: Adoption Assistance (AA) Negotiation Information Sessions: Input and Feedback
Please note sessions are limited to the first 40 people who register using the above link.
Your registration will be confirmed with an Outlook appointment invitation to join the Information Session via Microsoft TEAMS.
We Want to Hear from You
If you are unable to attend one of the Information Session for any reason or simply prefer to provide written feedback, please feel free to use the Strengthening and Standardizing the Adoption Assistance Negotiation Process Feedback form.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa V. Howard, Lisa.Howard@jfs.ohio.gov or Latricia Henry-Dunkin, Latricia.henry-dunkin@jfs.ohio.gov.