This letter transmits amendments to the OAC rule governing the visitation of children in the custody of the Public Children Services Agency (PCSA). The following is a brief explanation of the proposed changes.

OAC5101:2-42-65 entitled Caseworker visits and contacts with children in substitute care outlines the provisions regarding agency visits and contacts with a child in its custody and placed in a substitute care setting. This rule is being amended as a result of feedback received from the video conference held on August 26 and 27, 2008 with all PCSAs. There were several changes made to the rule based on the feedback given from the PCSAs while meeting the federal and state requirements and the adoption and foster care reform efforts over the past several years. An open internal meeting was held among Office of Families and Children program areas, field offices, SACWIS, and data reporting staff regarding final revisions and the provision of technical assistance to agencies regarding implementation and data reporting. Revisions have been made to reflect who is responsible for making the visit with the child in the substitute care setting and to define the frequency of visits.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The following chart depicts what materials are to be removed from the Family, Children and Adult Services Manual (FCASM) and what materials are to be inserted into the FCASM.