Posts

UP, UP & AWAY: FCCS, Child Safety Partners Launch New Effort to Prevent Deadly Child Drug Exposures

Image
Little kids don’t know what these drugs can do. But parents and adults do. More than 60,000 children visit emergency rooms across our country each year because of medication poisoning. The number of children under five treated after mistakenly eating or touching marijuana products grew exponentially in just four years. And as the use of fentanyl and potent painkillers continue to impact Central Ohio, doctors and poison centers are seeing more deadly and near-fatal accidental exposures among children. To educate parents and adults about how to protect young children against what can be a life-threatening accident, Franklin County Children Services (FCCS) and its child safety partners are launching a new community education effort: “Lock it UP, Clean it UP, and Put it AWAY.” “These are not cases of intentional harm. They are tragic, preventable accidents,” shared FCCS Executive Director Chip Spinning. “Little hands don’t know what they are touching, but parents and adults do. Our immedia...
Post a Comment
Read more

FCCS Wants You to be SAFE and SEEN this Summer

Image
TED E. BEAR SUMMER SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR FAMILIES Franklin County Children Services wants you to be SAFE & SEEN. Help FCCS keep kids safer this summer with these quick and easy tips for the summer season: NIGHTTIME & VISIBILITY ("SAFE AND SEEN") Gear Up: Attach your "Safe and Seen" reflective keychains to backpacks and place reflective stickers on shoes or clothing. Wear Wristbands: Put reflective wristbands on both arms so drivers can see your child from any angle. Face Traffic: Teach kids to walk on sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk, always walk on the left side of the road facing traffic. Bring Backup Light: Give children a small flashlight or headlamp to carry after sunset. Unplug While Walking: Remind kids to take out earbuds and put away cell phones when crossing roads at night.   WATER & POOL SAFETY Designate a Water Watcher: Ensure a responsible adult is actively watching the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Franklin County Children Services Bolsters Community Trust through Leadership Accountability

Image
Franklin County Children Services is reinforcing its commitment to transparency and responsibility by placing accountability at the forefront of its latest leadership initiative.  As part of the agency's new leadership training program, several administrators recently completed "The Power of Accountability," a specialized day-long course designed to reenforce the ways ownership and responsibility are embedded into the core of child welfare operations. “Trust is the foundation of high performing teams,” said Vicky Rhoads, the agency’s Director of Professional Development. “Accountability builds trust. It also improves decision making.” “Leaders who are accountable are more thoughtful about the choices they make. They evaluate risks, weigh impact, and take responsibility for outcomes - good or bad,” Ms. Rhoads added. The accountability training moves beyond abstract concepts, challenging leaders to demonstrate accountability in their interactions with the families they serv...
Post a Comment
Read more

Franklin County Children Services Invites Community to Recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in April

Image
Hope is not just a feeling. It is a measurable force for changing the trajectory of a child’s life.  As we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, Franklin County Children Services invites the Central Ohio community to join us in raising awareness about the continued dangers of child abuse and neglect here in Central Ohio and in celebrating how proactive community supports can strengthen families before crisis occurs, united under the theme of “ Powered by Hope. Strengthened by Prevention. ” The scale of the challenge we face remains significant. In 2025, the majority of the referrals and calls to the Franklin County Child Abuse Hotline - representing roughly 6 out of every 10 children who came in contact with our agency - raised fears about a child or teen being physically abused. More than half were concerns about some form of neglect or emotional maltreatment. And 1 child out of every 6 was an alleged victim of sexual abuse. In all, these fears and concerns ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FCCS Collaboration in Courtroom Key Component to Keeping Kids Safer

Image
Spending nearly 300 hours in the courtroom - or the average time it would take to read 67 books in a single year - the legal team at Franklin County Children Services works closely with partners in the Franklin County Courts to help keep children and teens safer and create positive, lasting change for families. “All of our work is geared at children’s safety and ultimately helping to increase the functioning of the family unit,” said FCCS Deputy Chief Counsel Julie Murrell, part of the agency’s team of attorneys, legal aides, paralegals, clerks, clerical staff, and court liaisons.  The department works most often with the judges and magistrates in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch as well as the Probate Court. And, according to Deputy Chief Counsel Jennifer Himes-Riley, the FCCS legal team is involved from the beginning of a case to custody end, assisting the family and caseworkers in finding the safest plan of care for a child.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Game On: Teens Learn about College Pathways through Gaming

Image
Learning about college courses, scholarships, and top-paying careers connected to video gaming – and having a lot of fun too – teens in the mentoring program at Franklin County Children Services spent a special day inside The Ohio State University’s Esports Arena.  “This hands-on day helped me in ways I didn’t expect,” said Lonnie Thompson, a member of the Simba Mentoring Program and one of 14 teens who were able to play games side-by-side and learn of the opportunities esports offers in college. "Something they do on a regular basis can lead to so much more,” said FCCS Associate Director of Child Enrichment and Volunteers Daryle Cobb.  Around 85% of U.S. teenagers game regularly, according to the Pew Research Center. Esports programs at universities like Ohio State offer scholarships for students to compete and play games against other colleges.  A collaboration with The Ohio State University and the Ubuntu Leadership Academy, which helps to create opportunities for stud...
1 comment
Read more

Staff Feedback Sparks Change to Help More Families Get Emergency Food

Image
With budget cuts and a government closure at the federal level making access to food assistance more challenging for many people throughout our region, the Intake and Ongoing teams found a creative way to support families in our care who reported an urgent need for food.  Working with several teams across the agency, they compiled dozens of emergency food boxes that could be shared with families connected to our agency who needed immediate help. At the same time, a partnership with our Purchasing team helped to streamline the process for accessing vouchers to help families quickly go shopping for groceries. “These families are going through so much right now. Their life has already been uprooted,” said Family Services Director Emily Green. “Making sure families have their basic needs met was the most simple thing we can do.”  During the federal shutdown, food benefits though the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) weren’t distributed. Roughly 1 in 8 people in Fran...
Post a Comment
Read more