Due to the passage of Substitute House Bill 8 of the 133rd General
Assembly and the pending signing by Governor DeWine, ODJFS is working to create
flexibility in the manner in which trainings are offered and to reduce the
number of training hours required for foster caregivers and applicants. Per rule 5101:2-5-40 (B) agency training
plans are due October 15, 2020, but because of this new flexibility, the
training plans will now be due April 15, 2021 to ensure agencies have time to
evaluate, plan and adjust.
Currently approved training plans will remain in effect until
June 1, 2021. If agencies have already submitted a training plan pursuant to
5101:2-5-40, that training plan will be reviewed for a January 1, 2021
effective date. Agencies that have
submitted a training plan may submit a new plan by April 15, 2021 if they
intend to lessen the number of hours they require.
Rules are being drafted to reduce the hours required for
training for both family and specialized foster homes as outlined in the chart
below. These changes are expected to be
effective in the spring 2021.
Training Type
|
Current Hours
|
Proposed Hours
|
Pre-placement
|
36
|
24
|
Continuing – Family Foster Homes
|
40
|
30
|
Continuing – Specialized Foster Homes
|
60
|
45
|
Agencies will have flexibility to require more than the minimum,
up to thirty-six hours of pre-placement training, up to forty hours of continuing
training for family foster caregivers and up to sixty hours of continuing training
for specialized foster caregivers and will continue to be reimbursed
accordingly.
Please know that this is the first phase of revisions as a
result of this new flexibility. ODJFS
will be engaging in additional work to establish a long-term plan.
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. 362
|