News from Franklin County Children Services

With more than 100 community partners coming together to connect parents with valuable resources and offer kids an afternoon of fun, Franklin County Children Services will help families get ready for the start of the new school year at the 14th annual FCCS FamJam and Back to School Bash. Thousands of children, teens, and families from throughout Franklin County are expected at this safe, free, family-friendly celebration on Saturday, August 3, from Noon to 3:00 p.m. at Goodale Park, centrally-located near Columbus’ Victorian Village and Short North neighborhoods. “Last year’s FamJam drew record crowds and we’re hoping to repeat that again this year,” shared Scott Varner, FCCS Director of Community Outreach. “To provide those tips, tools, and strategies that can help make families stronger for longer, we’re bringing together more than 100 of our great community partners - more than we've ever had - to offer families free information, create authentic connections, and have a lot...

Thell Robinson emphasizes the importance of giving teens strong, positive role models. He speaks from raw experience, as someone who rebuilt his life after falling into drugs, violence, and incarceration in his early years. While he knows he can’t erase the past, he has dedicated his life to helping at-risk teens and young adults to avoid the violent lifestyle he once knew through his organization Halt Violence. If you’re not familiar, Halt Violence is a nonprofit agency with street cred - saving lives through street mediation and changing minds through mentorship.  “We do it better than anyone because squashing beef and saving lives is our mission,” says the Halt Violence website. Through his experience in talking with teens who are confront by violence in their neighborhoods, Mr. Robinson eloquently explains why and how negative influences can be far more difficult to resist.  “They’re everywhere. Teens see them in the media, in the community and even sometimes at home. And ...

Rylie Wilson is preparing for a big move. This Fall, her new home will be a dorm room at Bowling Green State University, and it will be the first time that she will be on her own after being in foster care.  Rylie is one of 61 teens in the care of Franklin County Children Services who graduated high school or earned their GEDs this spring as members of the Class of 2024. In June, FCCS celebrated their achievements with a special graduation party bringing together friends, families, volunteers, mentor, and caseworkers. “This event is always a highlight of my year because the stories of success we will hear tonight are what fuel the work of Franklin County Children Services year-round. And in each of these young people, I hear and see stories of success that are filled with achievement over adversity,” said Chip Spinning, FCCS Executive Director.  Change and adversity has been frequent for 17-year-old Rylie, who entered foster care when she was 14.  Overcoming childhood tra...

Becoming a U.S. citizen has been a dream for 22-year-old Miatta Joe, a native of Sierra Leone who first experienced foster care at the age of 15. Her hard work and persistence made that dream a reality, when she officially became an American citizen back in May and prepares to celebrate at her swearing-in ceremony in July. And as a longtime member of the Franklin County Children Services Youth Advisory Board, she says she'll continue using her determination, education, and impassioned voice to speak for other young people in the child welfare system. “Being a citizen is really a good thing for me because now I have the right to vote and work inside the government to help people,” Miatta shared, noting that she managed and funded the almost year-long process to become a US citizen on her own.  “I had to fill out a lot of forms, get a lot of documents, and do a lot of research,” she said.  Pursing a degree in Human Science at Columbus State Community College, she hopes to start ...

Each year, Franklin County Children Services is relied upon to help more than 26,000 children and their families through prevention, protection, placement, and permanency programs, offering services and supports to keep children safe and families together. And in 2024 - four years into the historic impacts on child welfare exposed by the COVID pandemic - Franklin County Children Services is positioned to further evolve how this agency truly keeps children safer and makes families stronger for longer. Think how different our lives, our agency, and our world feels from just four years ago. Think about how family structures have changed, and how the challenges that all parents face seem far different and much more complicated.  Add in the mental health crisis gripping so many of our young people… the stressors of violence and guns in our neighborhoods… the uncertainties of our economy and workforce… and the child welfare safety net stretched thin, trying to keep young people from...

As parent, writer, and co-founder of a website on parenting teens and tweens Whitney Fleming writes, “the only thing I know for certain about raising teenagers is I have no idea what I’m doing.” Even knowing how to talk to your teen can be a challenge. That’s why we asked Don Heard to share his thoughts. A parent to four, Don has devoted his forty-year career to working with youth, including the last two decades at the YMCA of Central Ohio.  He offers straight talk tempered by hard experience. It starts with a willingness to confront tough conversations, but to do so lovingly and respectfully. He suggests finding neutral locations for these conversations.  Most important, set and model ground rules for positive ways to engage. Avoid yelling, threats, or other behavior that create more distance. Build bridges. Remember that kids may not listen to what we say but they always mimic what we do. Don also tells us that we shouldn’t wait until a crisis or issue arises to learn how to...

“I hope they won’t forget about us,” said Leslie Wass, tearfully speaking of her children who are approaching adulthood and leaving the nest.  While Ms. Wass shares the fears of most mothers as their children go out into the world, what makes her story a little different is that she and her husband David have fostered and adopted 11 children through Franklin County Children Services.  And three are nearing their independence.  During National Foster Care Month this May, Franklin County Children Services is celebrating the caring adults in our community who continue to open their homes and hearts to children who need safe, stable, and loving places to stay. The Wass home is filled with nine girls and two boys, each of whom has varying needs and challenges.  Reflecting on the lives of her eldest children - two 17-year-olds and a 20-year-old - Ms. Wass said, “I’m proud of the people that they’ve become.”  Each of them is eager to give back, volunteering and working...