News from Franklin County Children Services

CLICK TO HEAR MORE OF TIFFANY'S POWERFUL STORY AND HER TIPS FOR SURVIVING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE Abuse hurts everyone in the family.  “I remember the counselor telling me that my children were very resilient,” says  Tiffany, a mother of four and a survivor of intimate partner violence. She “won’t sugarcoat” the reality that leaving an abusive spouse is easy. She endured hard times, struggling to pay bills while anxious and afraid that her children would not find a way through the emotional trauma.  Fortunately, she says, “the tough times didn’t last long and, in the end, it was worth it. We made it.” While Tiffany courageously shares her story because she wants to encourage others to be safe, we’re honoring her request to not use her full name to protect her privacy.  Tiffany’s story sadly echoes that of many others. One in four women will face a domestic violence situation over their lifetime and are often caught in a cycle of violence with a partner that can las...

Focused on helping mothers recover from drug addiction while staying safely connected to their children, Franklin County Children Services is partnering with Volunteers of America on Ohio’s first family-focused residential treatment program that allows moms and children to remain together during treatment. The Fresh Start Family-Focused Recovery Program serves pregnant women and mothers actively struggling with addiction, giving them an opportunity to get clean while pregnant, stay with their children as they recover, and maintain custody of their children while in recovery. “We really do want to be an alternative to out of home placement,” shared Jennifer Martinez, Vice President of Behavioral Health Operations for Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, which celebrated the ribbon-cutting on its new facility earlier this year and expects to have its first residents in late summer.  She points to the trauma-informed, evidence-based clinical services provided in the program by li...

Recognizing that each young person who enters the child welfare system is unique, caseworkers at Franklin County Children Services also know it’s important to connect teenagers in agency care with the services and supports that will benefit them most. This is particularly important for supporting teens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, or other sexual orientations and gender identities.  Meet Jazi, a 19-year-old, who entered foster care through FCCS at the age of two and craved support that affirmed her identity throughout her childhood.  To better support youth like Jazi, FCCS launched a pilot initiative to have caseworkers to ask teenagers on their caseloads questions about the sexual orientation (who they are attracted to), gender identity (how they feel inside), and expression (how they show the world who they are) during the assessment process. Teens are welcome to not answer if they don't feel comfortable or want to talk about these topics. ...