Below please find updated policies and procedures as a result of
the March 9, 2020 emergency declaration, Executive Order 2020-02D issued by
Governor DeWine:
COVID-19 positive result notification:
All agencies and substitute care providers are instructed to
notify the ODJFS helpdesk at HELP-DESK-OCF@jfs.ohio.gov
if any staff, caregiver, household member, or child tests positive for COVID-19
so that ODJFS may provide support and ensure all Department of Health protocols
are followed.
Child
Protection Oversight and Evaluation:
Prior to COVID-19, ODJFS had initiated Phase 1 of the Child
Protection Oversight and Evaluation 12 (CPOE-12) and Technical Assistance
Specialists had begun reaching out to those counties scheduled for entrances
April-June 2020. Amid these unprecedented times, the office recognizes the need
to temporarily suspend CPOE-12 activities until October 2020 to allow counties
to prioritize the safety and well-being of the children and families under
their jurisdiction.
ODJFS further recognizes the need to offer support and provide
guidance and ongoing technical assistance during this critical time. Technical
Assistant Specialists will be in regular contact with their counties and ready
to assist in various ways and as always counties should reach out to their
technical assistant specialists directly whenever needed.
As indicated in Director Kimberly Hall’s PRACTICE
CONSIDERATIONS DURING COVID-19 memo dated 3/16/2020, child protection
responsibilities include responding to reports of maltreatment to our most
vulnerable citizens. Agencies must still assess safety during all phases of a
case including screening, assessment/investigation and ongoing regardless of
where children reside. Agencies should review the guidance provided in the
memorandum for additional information.
Foster Care, Adoption, Kinship Care and Residential Facility
Guidance
This guidance is effective until further notice unless
explicitly stated below:
Agencies are encouraged to review their own internal policies to
see if there are restrictions in place that are beyond what is required by
state and federal regulations. If those
policies that go beyond state and federal regulations will now cause undue hardship
or endanger the health of agency staff, caregivers, children in care, or the
general public, it is strongly recommended that agencies consider easing those
restrictions at this time.
Foster
parent capacity:
- If the custodial and recommending agency have a
critical need to exceed the maximum of ten children in a home as stated in
5101:2-5-32 (C) they should submit those requests with detailed information to
the OFC Helpdesk at HELP-DESK-OCF@jfs.ohio.gov.
Our office will respond as timely as possible to such requests.
Initial
certification or approval for foster care, adoption, or kinship care (as
applicable to each area):
- Pre-service training hours cannot be waived. However, the training methods can be flexible during this
time. Trainings can be delivered via live synchronous training and/or through
Foster Parent College for preservice, up to the minimum hours required for
their certification type. Regardless of which training method is used, agencies
are still required to ensure that all training topics and hours are met. Guidance is available from each OCWTP
regional training center regarding Foster Parent College preservice hours and
topics. Training for adoptive-only families may still be waived, except for the
3 hours of culture training.
- If CPR and First Aid training is required, it
may be completed online without certification during this time.
- Live synchronous training will be eligible for
foster parent stipends and reimbursements and agency allowance. Online training is eligible for foster parent
stipends and reimbursements but is not eligible for agency allowance.
- If private agencies decide to amend the
trainings offered for their families, they shall document these changes in
their training plan. The revised training plans do not need to be submitted to
ODJFS at this time.
- Criminal background checks are still required
for all potential caregivers and adult household members. If families have the
appropriate supplies, they may print the fingerprint form and complete their
own fingerprints with an ink pad, then mail it in to BCI. The form and address
can be found here: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Forms/Forms-for-BCI-Criminal-Records-and-Background-Chec/Background-Check-Forms/BCI-fingerprint-card.aspx. BCI has also stated that several locations
are still completing webchecks. Recommending agencies and families are urged to
use this link to locate webcheck services by county or zip code if unable to
complete the fingerprints manually at home:
- https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Business/Services-for-Business/WebCheck/Webcheck-Community-Listing.
- If a safety audit has not been conducted yet for
an initial homestudy or kinship assessment, the worker must take appropriate
precautions with social distancing, gloves, not touching household items, etc.
and complete the safety audit/physical check of the home as quickly as possible
and leave the home.
- As interviews are to be completed face to face,
the worker may do these via skype, facetime, or other video conferencing
equipment so that in-person contact is kept to a minimum as much as possible.
- Medical statements do not currently require
contact with a physician. Families can use whatever means available to have
physicians complete the forms, such as email, fax, mail, etc. If a
physician requires a visit, this may be done via telehealth as well.
- Fire Inspections are required prior to initial
certification. Please request the fire inspection as soon as
possible. The inspectors will complete
them as they are able.
- Well water inspections are required unless there
is another plan for water in the home. If the local health department is
unable to complete the inspections, the families may use bottled or filtered
water as an alternative to the inspection.
- Other requirements that can be done
electronically, such as abuse/neglect checks, sex offender checks, financial
forms, etc., should be conducted in this manner.
Amendments
for foster or adoptive homes:
- Please review guidance provided above for any
amendment requirements applicable to the change that has occurred (i.e. address
change, new household member, etc.) Any interviews may be conducted via Skype,
facetime, or other video conferencing equipment.
Recertifications
and updates for foster and adoptive homes:
- HB 197 of the 133rd Ohio General
Assembly includes language to allow ODJFS to extend all certifications and
approvals. As a result, ODJFS will be extending all foster care recertifications
and adoption updates scheduled to expire in March, April, May and June until
September 30, 2020.
- ODJFS
and the SACWIS team will implement data fixes to extend affected foster care
and adoption spans.
- If
foster parents would like to complete ongoing training requirements during this
time, they may do so via live synchronous or online training up to the minimum
hours of training required for their certification type. Regardless of which
training method is used, trainings must be approved by the recommending agency
in order to receive credit.
- If
CPR and First Aid certification is due to expire, the
training may be completed online without certification during this time.
- Live
synchronous training will be eligible for foster parent stipends and
reimbursements and agency allowance.
Online training is eligible for foster parent stipends and
reimbursements but is not eligible for agency allowance.
- If
private agencies decide to amend the trainings offered for their families, they
shall document these changes in their training plan. The revised training plans
do not need to be submitted to ODJFS at this time.
Documentation:
When a recommending agency chooses an alternative requirement
identified above, it must be documented in a SACWIS provider activity log.
ODJFS recommends starting the activity log narrative with “COVID-19”.
Residential
Requirements, ratios:
- Ratios for residential staffing may be increased
from 1:10 to 1:15 during the emergency.
- Ratios for infants and toddlers in residential
parenting facilities may increase from 1:5 to 1:7 during the emergency.
- If residential facilities increase staffing ratios
as permitted above, the facilities shall notify the OFC Helpdesk at HELP-DESK-OCF@jfs.ohio.gov.
Residential
Requirements, staff:
- Prior to working alone with children, the agency
shall ensure the following during the emergency:
1.All required
background checks have been received
2.Staff have
completed the initial orientation required by rule 5101:2-9-03
3.CPR and First
Aid training has been completed. It may
be completed online without certification at this time. Certification shall be
completed within 90 days after the emergency ends.
The additional twenty hours of first year training are still
required; however, they no longer must be completed prior to working alone with
children.
- If staff CPR and First Aid certification is due
to expire, the training may be completed online without certification during
this time. Certification shall be
completed within 90 days after the emergency ends.
- One person certified in CPR and First Aid must
still be on duty in a living unit at all times.
Residential
Requirements, facility:
- If a residential facility is not able to obtain
a well water inspection, the facility may use bottled or filtered water as an
alternative to the inspection during the emergency.
- Residential facilities shall do their best to
meet the current requirements of rule 5101:2-9-20 regarding food and
nutrition. If any foods are not
available because of a shortage in the community, the facility shall still
provide a nutritious meal to all residents.
INSTRUCTIONS:
The following chart depicts what materials should be deleted
from the Family, Children and Adult Services Manual (FCASM) and what materials
are to be inserted in the FCASM.
LOCATION
|
REMOVE AND FILE AS OBSOLETE
|
INSERT/REPLACEMENT
|
PROCEDURE LETTERS
|
FCASPL No.
|
FCASPL No.
|