2009 Ohio Summit on Children

During the Governor's second of two Ohio Summits on Children, foster care youth and alumni shared their insights during roundtables on:

1. Funding

• Leveraging local funds
• Coping with the escalating cost of services
• Flexible funding
• Countering TANF reductions

2. Systemic Issues

• Establishing a shared vision
• Developing/maintaining a continuum of care in this economic climate
• Measuring outcomes/data
• Connecting data systems
• Reducing staff turnover

3. Behavioral Health

• Access to services
• Placement prevention/intensive home-based services
• Early screening for mental health and developmental needs
• Application of trauma-informed care

4. Education

• Increasing graduation rates and academic performance
• Engaging youth who do not adapt to traditional education
• Engaging families and building community partnerships
• Creating safe schools and healthy communities
• Supporting children with autism spectrum disorders and their families

5. Building and Sustaining Local Planning Teams

• Developing a high-functioning Family and Children First Council
• Engaging all partners
• Integrating Summit and HB 289 plans
• Developing leadership

6. Health

• Access to health care
• Timely screening and coordination of care
• Teen pregnancy
• Prevention and prenatal care

7. Out-of-Home Care

• Supporting kinship programs
• Ensuring the sufficient availability of foster homes
• Short-term residential/step-down care
• Timely adoption of children in permanent custody

8. Family Engagement

• Involvement of fathers
• Parenting skill development
• Parent advocacy/family-driven plans
• Families separated by incarceration

9. Youth in Court

• Truancy
• Violent youth crime
• Alternatives to incarceration/detention
• Disproportionate minority contact

10. Transitioning Youth Out of the System

• Youth employment/WIA
• Housing
• Health care needs
• Post-secondary education