Clermont County Job and Family Services Announces 10 Cost Savings Days
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The mission of Children's Protective Services is to protect the abused, neglected, and dependent children of Clermont County and promote their well-being. Children's Protective Services shares the community's belief that each child has a right to be raised in a safe, permanent family. The most effective means of preserving every child's right is through society's ability to strengthen families. Children Services values and depends on collaboration with community agencies and private citizens to protect our county's children. Working within its mission, Children's Protective Services respects the dignity, integrity and uniqueness of each family and adheres to the philosophy that bureaucratic intervention is warranted only when children are found to be at risk.
In assuming this responsibility, we also try our best to preserve families. Children belong in families, hopefully the one they are born into. We prefer that a child remain at home while we provide services to stabilize the family. If a child cannot live safely at home, we first look for an appropriate relative to care for the child for as long as necessary. If a relative is not available, the child will go into foster care or other placement. In every case, the safety of the child is our main concern.
We also believe in permanence for children. Children need stability and they need permanence. If the crisis in a birth family cannot be resolved, it is our responsibility to seek an alternative, permanent family for those children in a timely manner.
Our Mandate
Clermont County Children Services gets its mandate from state of Ohio law. According to the Ohio Revised Code, public children services agencies shall do all of the following:
- investigate allegations of child abuse, neglect or dependency
- make reasonable efforts to prevent the removal of children from their homes
- accept custody of children from courts with juvenile jurisdiction
- provide temporary emergency shelter when necessary
- find family foster homes for children
- implement a system for assessing risk to children
- administer federal adoption assistance funds
Ohio Revised Code Section 5153.16
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Batavia, Ohio. The Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) will implement a series of 10 unpaid cost savings days, as a way to help offset a more than 20 percent cut in state funding. On these dates in 2009 and 2010, the local DJFS offices will be closed.
“To minimize the impact of this situation on our customers, we have tried to select closure dates that are traditionally among our slowest business days,” said DJFS Director Tim McCartney. He said the decision to close the offices will save an estimated $400,000 in salaries with additional savings linked to building operations.
The announced DJFS closures are:
Friday, September 11, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, February 12, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services receives the majority of its funding from state and federal sources. This is one of many steps DJFS has implemented to address budget cuts. The department has previously reduced costs through the attrition of more than 20 staff members, agency restructuring, voluntary reductions in work hours, and reduced agency contracts.
“We needed to take immediate action to respond to the cuts,” added McCartney. “Sadly, it comes at a time when we are seeing an increase in those needing assistance. Thus far this year, we have seen a 30 percent increase in households receiving food stamps (compared to this time last year); we’ve also experienced similar increases in those needing Medicaid and cash assistance.”