(A)Upon request, eachEach public children services agency (PCSA) is toshall, when requested, provide services and support to former foster care recipients, who have emancipated from PCSA custody on or after the age of eighteen from a substitute care placement, until their twenty-first birthday pursuant to 45 CFR 1355.20.agency custody due to attaining eighteen years of age. A PCSA shall evaluate the strengths and needs of the young adult to determine the services to be offered. The services and supports are to complement the young adult's own efforts to achieve self- sufficiency and to assure that the program participant recognizes and accepts their personal responsibility for preparing for and then making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The services and supports shall be available until the young adult's twenty-first birthday.

(B)A PCSA is to evaluate the strengths and needs with the young adult, assess the young adult's own efforts to achieve self-sufficiency and availability of community resources. Before a PCSA provides services to a young adult between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, the PCSA shall explore and coordinate services with other community resources. The PCSA shall coordinate with ODJFS programs and other community resources including, but not limited to the following:

(1)Bridges.

(2)Comprehensive case management and employment program (CCMEP).

(3)Other local community resources.

(C)Based on the evaluation required by paragraph (B)(A) of this rule, the PCSA and the young adult is toshall develop a mutually agreed upon plan in Ohio Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (Ohio SACWIS)SACWIS for the provision of services. The plan shall clearly outline the responsibilities of the young adult and the PCSA. A copy of the young adult services plan is toshall be signed by the young adult and a representative of the agency.

(D)The PCSA is toshall include or update contact information in the plan in Ohio SACWIS on any of the young adult'syouth's connections with significant others, such as former resource familiesfoster parents, friends, adult supporters, mentors and extended family members. The contact information shall include names, addresses and phone numbers, whenever known and is to to be documented in Ohio SACWIS. shall be documented in the state automated child welfare information system (SACWIS).

(E)The PCSA is toshall make available the following independent living services to young adults aged eighteen to twenty-one including, but not limited to:

(1)Academic support. including:

(a)Academic counseling.

(b)Preparation for a GED.

(c)Assistance in applying for or studying for a GED exam.

(d)Tutoring.

(e)Help with homework.

(f)Study skills training.

(g)Literacy training.

(h)Help accessing educational resources.

(2)Post secondary educational support. including:

(a)Classes for test preparation.

(b)Counseling about college.

(c)Information about financial aid and scholarships.

(d)Help completing college or loan applications.

(e)Tutoring while in college.

(3)Career preparation. including:

(a)Vocational and career assessment, career exploration and planning, guidance in setting and assessing vocational and career interests and skills and help in matching interests and abilities with vocational goals.

(b)Job seeking and job placement support, identifying potential employers, writing resumes, completing job applications, developing interview skills, job shadowing, receiving job referrals, using career resource libraries, understanding employee benefits coverage, and securing work permits.

(c)Retention support and job coaching.

(d)Learning how to work with employers and other employees.

(e)Understanding workplace values such as timeliness and appearance.

(f)Understanding authority and customer relationships.

(4)Employment programs or vocational training. including:

(a)Youth's participation in an apprenticeship, internship, or summer employment program.

(b)Youth's participation in vocational or trade programs and the receipt of training in occupational classes for such skills as cosmetology, auto mechanics, building trades, nursing, computer science, and other current or emerging employment sectors.

(5)Budget and financial management. including:

(a)Living within a budget.

(b)Opening and using a checking/ savings account.

(c)Balancing a checkbook.

(d)Developing consumer awareness and smart shopping skills.

(e)Accessing information about credit, loans and taxes.

(f)Filling out tax forms.

(6)Housing, education and home management. including:

(a)Assistance or training in locating and maintaining housing, filling out a rental application and acquiring a lease, handling security deposits and utilities, understanding practice for keeping a healthy and safe home, understanding tenants rights and responsibilities, and handling landlord complaints.

(b)Lessons in food preparation, laundry, housekeeping, living cooperatively, meal planning, grocery shopping and basic maintenance and repairs and driving instructions.

(7)Health education and risk prevention. including:

(a)Hygiene, nutrition, fitness and exercise, and first aid information.

(b)Medical and dental care benefits, health care resources and insurance, prenatal care and maintaining personal medical records.

(c)Sex education, abstinence education, and HIV prevention, education and information about sexual development and sexuality, pregnancy prevention and family planning and sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, substance abuse prevention and intervention, including education and information about the effects and consequences of substance use (alcohol, drugs, tobacco) and substance avoidance and intervention.

(8)Mentoring including being matched with a screened and trained adult for a one-on-one relationship involving the two meeting on a regular basis. Mentoring can be short-term, but may also support the development of a long-term relationship.:

(9)Supervision services for a young adult living in a supervised independent living arrangement including a young adult living independently under a supervised arrangement that is paid for or provided by the county agency. A young adult in supervised independent living is not supervised twenty-four hours a day by an adult and often is provided with increased responsibilities, such as paying bills, assuming leases, and working with a landlord, while under the supervision of an adult.

(10)     Room and board financial assistance including room and board financial assistance that is a payment paid for or provided by the county agency for room and board, rent deposits, utilities, and other household start-up expenses.

(11)     Education financial assistance such asincluding educational financial assistance that is a payment paid for or provided by the county agency for education or training, allowances to purchase textbooks, uniforms, computers, and other educational supplies; tuition assistance; scholarships; payment for educational preparation and support services, and payment for GED and other educational tests. The financial assistance also includes vouchers for tuition or vocational education or tuition waiver programs paid for or provided by the county agency.

(12)     Other financial assistance including direct cashfinancial assistance for any other payments made or provided by the county agency to help the young adult gain independence.youth live independently.

(F)The PCSA may only use up to thirty percentper cent of itsthe Chafee federal independent living allocation for room and board pursuant to rule 5101:9-6-35 of the Administrative Code. for eighteen to twenty-one year old youth who emancipated. Bridges participants receiving Title IV-E maintenancemaintanence are not eligible for the Chafee or Temporary assistance to needy families (TANF) independent living (IL)room and board allocation. Room and board may include but is not limited to:

(1)Assistance with rent.

(2)Initial rent deposit.

(3)Utilities.

(4)Utility deposits.

(G)TheUnder no circumstances shall the PCSA is not permitted to use any of its independent living allocation for room and board for youth under the age of eighteen or past the young adult's twenty-first birthday.

(H)The PCSA is toPCSAs shall report applicable independent living services provided to  information for young adults as required in rule 5101:2-33-70 of the Administrative Code, according to Ohio SACWISthe statewide automated child welfare information system (SACWIS) reporting requirements.

(I)The PCSA is toshall provide a copy of the agency's grievance policy as required by rule 5101:2-33-20 of the Administrative Code to each young adult requesting independent living services from the agency.

(J)The PCSA is to assist young adults age twenty-one years old and under in completing the national youth in transition database (NYTD) survey in accordance with 45 C.F.R. 1356.82(a)(2)(i)(2008). The PCSA may utilize independent living allocation to provide young adults with incentives to complete the survey. shall ensure that youth who have reached age nineteen or twenty-one are participating in state and federal studies in accordance with the Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS). The PCSA shall inform the youth:

(1)How to access the survey.

(2)The benefits of participating in the survey include:

(a)Increase youth financial self-sufficiency.

(b)Improve youth educational, academic or vocational attainment.

(c)Increase youth connections with adults.

(d)Reduce homelessness among youth.

(e)Reduce high-risk behavior among youth.

(f)Improve youth access to health insurance.

(3)They may be eligible for an incentive once they complete the survey.

Effective: 5/1/2024

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 11/27/2023 and 05/01/2029

Certification: CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY

Date: 04/02/2024

Promulgated Under: 119.03

Statutory Authority: 5103.03, 5101.141, 5153.166

Rule Amplifies: 5101.141, 5103.03, 5153.16Prior Effective Dates: 11/12/2002, 10/09/2006, 10/01/2009, 05/10/2014, 12/11/2017, 03/01/2019, 04/04/2022