News from Franklin County Children Services

Kicking off the back-to-school season in a big way and with lots of free fun, Franklin County Children Services and KidsLinked.com teamed up with nearly 100 community partners and organizations to present the 2024 FamJam and Back to School Bash in August.  That’s the largest number of community partners who’ve joined in on this annual agency festival since its inception more than a decade ago. "We can't do this work alone. It takes the entire community," said FCCS Executive Director Chip Spinning. "It's great to have so many children and families coming out to participate in FamJam." This year’s event was also highlighted by record crowds of families and children from throughout Franklin County, with an estimated 8,000 people stopping by at some point during the three hours. More than 14,000 RSVP’d online to attend. For the second year, this free event filled Columbus’ Goodale Park. Among the community partners at FamJam this year were the Center for Family ...

For Private Second-Class Cynthia Louis Charles, this was no ordinary care package. In addition to a brand new pair of shoes, cleaning supplies, plus hair care and beauty products, the box included a framed photo of the Franklin County Children Services Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and a special message from FCCS staff and volunteers rooting for her success. A former foster youth, Cynthia now serves in the U.S. Army Reserve Command and is studying at Columbus State Community College to become a dental hygienist. She’s also a current member and past president of YAB and recipient of the 2022 FCCS Jack Donahue College scholarship. Her desire to be self-sufficient led Cynthia to join the military. A native of Haiti, her enlistment in the armed forces expedited her journey to becoming a U.S. citizen and offered financial stability, including additional funding for college. However, being in the Army Reserve Command has given Cynthia more than just security. She says it’s given her a foundatio...

Aligned with our Call to Action of Engaging our Community Authentically, Franklin County Children Services is wrapping up a Summer full of community engagement, having created nearly 100 engagement opportunities across all of Franklin County over a four-month period. Key to the success of this effort, according to FCCS Communications and Community Outreach Director Scott Varner, was the recruitment of a Summer Engagement Team. "Nearly 60 staff members from across our agency - from caseworkers to office staff, with representatives of every division - took the time to attend events and festivals on behalf of FCCS." The Summer Engagement Team provided an opportunity for a variety of employees to meet with and hear from our community directly, fostering valuable two-way communication. A spotlight of this Summer Engagement initiative was the agency’s sponsorship of the Thursday Night Thriller violence prevention basketball league. Attracting hundreds of youth and their families ea...

As a child of South Linden who tragically lost a nephew in a violent incident, Miguel “Geno” Tucker understands the potentially devastating impacts of trauma. He’s devoted his life and the organization he founded, Remember Us Urban Legends, to mentoring youth and teaching valuable job and life skills so kids see a positive future for themselves.  Geno points out that engaging urban teens requires empathy and a deep understanding of trauma. Almost two-thirds (64%) of US adults experienced at least one traumatic incident as a child, and just over one in six (17%) endured four or more traumatic issues.  And trauma can cause long-term negative effects on a child’s mental and physical health. It’s been linked not only to higher incidences of depression and anxiety but also to chronic health issues such as high blood pressure.  Think of trauma as the dark echoes that can result when kids witness or experience violence, abuse or neglect, lose a loved one to suicide, are exposed ...