The change also means a minimal impact on the county budget. The program is completely funded through an Ohio Department of Job and Family Services grant and the employees work out of an existing leased training center in Loveland.
County commissioners approved two resolutions Thursday morning accepting the added duties for Centers.
“Hamilton County JFS has gone through quite a bit or reductions, cut backs, etcetera,” Centers said. “The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services felt they could no longer administrate the program effectively so we were contacted as a county to potentially take this over.”
The program provides state training for child welfare caseworkers and supervisors, adoption assessors, and foster and prospective adoptive parents.
Centers said Butler County’s Center for Family Solutions will also be used.
Butler County’s grant is $554,558. Statewide, ODJFS distributes slightly more than $4.2 million annually to the administrators of the eight regional training centers. The Southwest RTC incorporates Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Brown and Adams counties.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services spokesman Ben Johnson said funding for the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program isn’t in jeopardy of being cut in the yet-to-be-approved state budget.
“Child welfare is a priority of ours at ODJFS and a priority of (Gov. John Kasich),” he said.
The program ultimately benefits children “who have not had the best upbringing” by having qualified children services employees and guardians, Johnson said.
“I think we can all appreciate that having capable, well-educated and well-trained foster and adoptive parents is an important part of keeping kids in Ohio safe,” Johnson said.
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