As a result of Amended Substitute House Bill 1 of the 128th General Assembly, section 5103.154 of the Ohio Revised Code the Ohio Adoption Photo Listing (OAPL) has been eliminated.

Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs) are no longer required to submit OAPL information as outlined in OAC 5101:2-49-03 entitled Special Needs Criteria for Adoption Assistance. The language in the rule which requires children who are in the permanent custody of your agency to be listed on OAPL is in the process of being amended to remove this requirement.

Although the website will no longer post waiting children for you, the adoption page on the ODJFS website will refer anyone wanting to find a waiting child to your local agency in order to assist you in recruiting. The website will be revised to incorporate a link to all 88 county agency's specific adoption information. Please provide ODJFS with your agency's adoption contact information that you would like to appear on the website. At minimum, please provide your agency website address, a contact person, telephone number and an e-mail address. Please fax the contact information to 614-466-4359 attn: Deanna Robb or e-mail to Deanna.Robb@jfs.ohio.gov by October 15, 2009.

ODJFS is committed to assist all agencies in recruiting for a permanent home for Ohio's waiting children. As an alternative to OAPL PCSAs are strongly encouraged to utilize www.AdoptUsKids.org. AdoptUsKids provides free services to United States territories and tribes. It is a website on which children in foster care who are waiting for adoption can be photolisted, child welfare professionals and prospective foster and adoptive families can view them, and homestudied families can register and search for children to foster and/or adopt. Each county can be granted access to place a child on the photolisting by contacting Madonna Gray at Madonna.Gray@jfs.ohio.gov.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The following chart depicts what materials should be inserted into the Family, Children and Adult Services Manual (FCASPL).