Ohio child welfare 'Alternative Response' project

Ohio made major changes to its child welfare and protection laws last year, including the establishing of a uniform statewide automated child welfare information system, criminal records checks on applicants for jobs at child care centers, and the directing of the Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services “to develop, implement, oversee, and evaluate a pilot program on an ‘alternative response’ approach to reports of child abuse, neglect, and dependency.”

In response to the bill’s passage the Ohio Supreme Court and Department of Family Services announced yesterday that the American Humane Association, a national non-profit organization focused on protecting both children and animals from abuse, neglected, and exploitation—working in tandem with the Institute of Applied Research, and consultants from Minnesota who have developed their own nationally-regarded alternative response protocol—will manage the design, implementation, and evaluation of the program to assist child protection agencies.

Announcement
Bill’s summary