When the intake assessment and investigations department assesses that a family would benefit from continued involvement with WCCS, the family's case may be transferred to one of our Ongoing Protective Services Units.

A family's ongoing case will remain open as long as there is a safety threat and the family is in need of services and support. The goal of ongoing involvement is to provide case management/support to a family in a way that addresses threats to the safety and well-being of the children and decreases the likelihood that future concerns will exist.

Ongoing caseworkers who are assigned to work with a family develop a case plan specific to the family's needs. Families are encouraged to be involved in the development of their plan.

Ongoing case plan/management includes:

• Referrals to community service providers such as counseling, drug and alcohol abuse services, mental health services, domestic violence courses, parent coaching and other similar activities
• Monitoring each stage of a child's development so that interventions can be made if concerns are identified.
• A caseworker will support the family as they complete the plan and monitor their progress.
• Progress will be monitored by continual monthly visits with all case parties, court review hearings, in-agency semi-annual review meetings, parental visits, contact with service providers, etc.

At Warren County Children Services, there are three Ongoing Protective Services Units. The caseworkers in the Ongoing Units work with the following types of families to provide services and support:

• In-Home Voluntary Cases: children who remain in their own home and do not have an open court involved case.
• Protective Supervision Cases: children who remain in their home or the home of a relative, but have a court involved case.
• Placement Cases: children who have been removed from their home by the court system due to allegations of abuse, neglect or dependency and are now in the custody of Warren County Children Services.

Once a family has addressed the concerns and reduced significant risk to the well-being of the children, WCCS will prepare to end its formal involvement with the family.

Youth Transitional Services

All youth age 14 and older in the custody of Warren County Children Services will be assessed for independent living skills. This assessment will gage the tools needed for this child to be most successful.

Youth age 16 and older can be placed in Permanent Planed Living Arrangement (PPLA) status with the agency. In these cases the goal is to enable the youth to live independently. The caseworker will assist youth in independent living skills.

Independent living services include:

• Academic Support- tutoring assistance, high school graduation, ACT/SATs
• Housing services- apartment application assistance, rent and utility assistance
• Financial Management- education on budgeting money and managing finance, assistance in setting up a bank account
• Community Services- bus/transportation assistance, medical application, food stamp application, housing application, counseling resources and other resources in the community for support
• Post-Secondary Education Support- college tours, FASFA, college applications, Ohio Education Training Vulture (ETV) information and Independent Scholars Network (ISN) information
• Employment Programs or Vocational Training- job applications, assistance in job opportunities, vocational school options and military enlistment

WCCS strives to provide the highest quality of services, counseling, case management and life skills instruction to every youth aging out of foster care; and to successfully transition each youth from the care of WCCS to a state of productive independence.