(A)Independent living
services shall be provided to each youth in the custody of a public children services
agency (PCSA) or private child placing agency (PCPA) who has attained the age of
fourteen to prepare them for the transition from agency custody to self-sufficiency.
(B)If a PCSA is providing
independent living services to an eligible unmarried minor female who is pregnant
or has a child and is part of an "Ohio Works First" (OWF) assistance group,
the PCSA shall inform the local county department of job and family services (CDJFS)
of the PCSA's involvement with the family in order to ensure coordination of services.
(C)The PCSA or PCPA
shall conduct a life skills assessment on each youth in agency custody, who has
reached age fourteen. The assessment shall be completed no later than sixty days
after the youth's fourteenth birthday or sixty days after the youth enters agency
custody, if the youth is fourteen or older. A life skills assessment shall establish
the need for independent living services identified in paragraph (D) of this rule.
The life skills assessment shall be completed with documented input from the youth,
the youth's caregiver, and the youth's case manager.
(D)The PCSA or PCPA
shall determine which independent living services are and are not applicable, based
on the assessment required by paragraph (C) of this rule and shall include, but
not be limited to the following:
(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)Participation in
an apprenticeship, internship, or summer employment program.
(b)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 or 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 training 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)InstructionLessons in food
preparation, laundry, housekeeping, living cooperatively, meal planning, grocery
shopping, and basic
maintenance and repairs, and driving instruction.
(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)Family support
and healthy marriage education including education and information about safe and
stable families, healthy marriages, spousal communication, parenting, responsible
fatherhood, childcare skills, teen parenting and domestic and family violence prevention.
(9)Mentoring including
being matched with a screened and trained adult for a one-on-one relationship that
involves the two meeting on a regular basis. Mentoring can be short-term, but may
also support the development of a long-term relationship.
(10) SupervisedSupervision services for
a youth placed in a supervised independent living arrangement including a youth who is living independently
under a supervised arrangement paid for or provided by the county agency.
(11) Room and board financial
assistance for rent deposits, utilities, and other household start-up expenses. The PCSA may only use up to thirty per cent of the Chafee federal
independent living allocation for room and board pursuant to rule 5101:9-6-35of
the Administrative Code. The PCSA or PCPA shall not use the Chafee allocation
or TANF independent living funds for room and board pursuant to rulerules 5101:9-6-35 and 5101:9-6-08.6 of the Administrative Code for:
(a)Youth under the
age of eighteen.
(b)Young adults that
have reached their twenty first birthday.
(E)The PCSA or PCPA
shall develop a written independent living plan within thirty days of the completion
of the assessment required by paragraph (C) of this rule, to help the youth achieve
self-sufficiency. The plan shall be based upon the assessment, the developmental
age of the child and include input from the youth, the youth's case manager, the
caregiver, and significant others in the youth's life. The independent living plan
shall document the strengths, limitations, and resources of the youth and outline
the services to be provided. The independent living plan
shall be reviewed at least every ninety days thereafter until the agency's custody
is terminated. A copy of the plan and any subsequent updates shall be provided
to the youth and caregiver within thirty days of the development of the plan or
the update as applicable.
(F)The PCSA or PCPA shall include in the independent
living plan the contact information containing the names, addresses and phone numbers
of significant others, such as former foster parents, friends, mentors, child's
attorney, guardian ad litem (GAL) or court appointed special advocates (CASA) and
extended family members as provided by the youth. The PCSA or PCPA shall use this
information to work with the youth to develop and achieve meaningful, permanent
connections with at least one caring adult.
(F)(G) The PCSA or PCPA shall amend the case plan and
submit it to the court within seven days following the completion of the initial
independent living plan pursuant to rules 5101:2-38-05 and 5101:2-38-07 of the Administrative
Code.
(H)The PCSA or PCPA shall review the independent
living plan with the youth and substitute caregiver at least every ninety days until
the agency's custody is terminated. Each review shall include:
(1)Progress on current independent living goals
and the opportunity to add new independent living goals, as necessary.
(2)Review of youth's contacts including the
development of meaningful, permanent connections.
(3)Details regarding youth's access to and
participation in age or developmentally appropriate activities, positive youth development
and experiential learning similar to non-custodial youth.
(G)(I) The PCSA or PCPA shall provide independent living
services training opportunities to caregivers caring for adolescents.
(H)The PCSA or PCPA shall include in the independent
living plan the contact information containing the names, addresses and phone numbers
of significant others, such as former foster parents, friends, mentors, child's
attorney, GAL/CASA and extended family members as provided by the young adult.
(I)(J) . For each child
in the custody of the PCSA or PCPA who has attained the age of fourteen, the PCSA
or PCPA shall request a credit report from each of the three major credit reporting
agencies (CRA) each year until the child is discharged from substitute care. This
may be completed simultaneously or separately throughout the year.
(1)A request shall
be submitted to at least one CRA by the first semi-annual review (SAR) held after
the child attains the age of fourteen.
(2)The PCSA or PCPA
shall ensure each child in agency custody who has attained the age of fourteen or
older until emancipation, annually receives all copies of their consumer credit
report. The PCSA or PCPA shall assist the youth in interpreting the credit reports.
(3)The PCSA or PCPA
shall assist youth in the resolution of any inaccuracies reported on any of the
credit reports by working with the Ohio attorney general's office.
(J)(K) A PCSA shall ensure the following initial information is entered into statewide automated
child welfare information system (SACWIS) and a PCPA shall ensure that the initial information is documented in the case record each
work day or as information becomes available in accordance with rule 5101:2-33-70
of the Administrative Code:
(1)All services provided
to youth as indicated in paragraph (D) of this rule.
(2)Youth characteristics
including:
(a)Education levels.
(b)Tribal membership.
(c)Delinquency adjudication.
(d)Special education.
(e)Medical conditions.
(3)Basic demographics
of the youth including:
(a)Gender.
(b)Race.
(c)Ethnicity.
(K)(L) The PCSA shall enter in SACWIS and the PCPA shall
document in the case record the date the independent living assessment and the independent
living plan were completed. All review dates of the independent living plan shall
be entered in SACWIS, in accordance with rule 5101:2-33-70 of the Administrative
Code. The PCPA shall document all review dates in the case record.
(L)(M) The PCSA or PCPA shall provide the youth information
on post emancipation services in accordance with rule 5101:2-42-19.2
of the Administrative Code and eligibility criteria to enroll in bridges
in accordance with Chapter 5101:2-50 of the Administrative Code.
(1)At least one hundred
eighty days prior to the youth's eighteenth birthday, the PCSA or PCPA shall determine
if one of the following eligibility criteria can be met for the youth to be enrolled
in the bridges program upon the youth emancipating from care.
(a)Youth is completing
secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential.
(b)Youth is enrolled
in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocation education.
(c)Youth is participating
in a program or activity designed to remove barriers to employment.
(d)Youth is employed
for at least eighty hours per month.
(e)Youth is incapable
of doing any of the activities described in paragraph (L)(1)(a)(M)(1)(a) to (L)(1)(d)(M)(1)(d) of this rule due to a medical condition, and incapacity
is supported by regular documentation from a qualified practitioner.
(2)At least ninety
days prior to the youth's emancipation if it is determined
the youth is interested and meets at least one of the eligibility criteria described
in paragraph (M)(1)(a) to (M)(1)(e), the PCSA or PCPA
shall determine if the youth is interested and meets at least one of the eligibility
criteria described in paragraphs (L)(1)(a) to (L)(1)(e) of this rule, the
PCSA or PCPA shall:
(a)Contact and introduce the youth to the bridges representativeRefer the youth to the bridges program.
(b)Assign the bridges
representative to the ongoing case within SACWIS.
(c)Introduce the youth to the bridges representative.
(c)(d) Collaborate with the bridges representative until
the youth reaches emancipation and custody has been terminated.
(3)At least fourteen
days prior to the youth's emancipation, the PCSA or PCPA shall ensure the youth
has all documentation required to enroll in the bridges program.
(M)(N) At least ninety days prior to the youth's emancipation
from the agency's custody, the PCSA or PCPA shall work with the youth to develop
a final transition plan. The plan shall be youth-driven and as detailed as the youth
chooses. The PCSA shall complete the plan in SACWIS. For
youth who have been referred to the bridges program, the final transition plan shall
be shared with the bridges representative. The plan shall include information
regarding:
(1)The youth's option
to receive post emancipation services identified in rule 5101:2-42-19.2 of the Administrative
Code, provided or arranged by the PCSA or PCPA from which the youth emancipated.
(2)Health care including:
(a)Health insurance.
(b)Health care power
of attorney.
(c)Youth's option
to execute power of attorney.
(3)Employment services.
(4)Secondary and post
secondary education and training.
(5)Obtaining and paying
for housing.
(6)Budgeting for necessary
living expenses.
(7)Obtaining a credit
report.
(8)Registering for
selective service.
(9)Information on
obtaining a driver's license.
(10) Information on any
existing court fees associated with the youth's name prior to emancipation.
(11) Information on any
existing benefits the youth receives, such as but not limited to social security
benefits. If necessary, the PCSA or PCPA shall review with the youth instructions
on how to apply for continuation of those benefits.
(N)(O) Prior to the youth's emancipation from the agency's
custody, the PCSA or PCPA shall coordinate with the following agencies, to obtain
necessary documents:
(1)The department
of health, office of vital statistics, to ensure the youth obtains an original birth
certificate.
(2)The social security
administration, to ensure the youth obtains an original social security card.
(3)The bureau of motor
vehicles, to ensure the youth obtains a current state identification card and information
on obtaining a driver's license.
(O)(P) The PCSA or PCPA shall provide a copy of the final transition plan to the youth when custody is terminated due to reaching the age of emancipation,
along with the following:
(1)A copy of the youth's
health and education records.
(2)A letter verifying
that the youth emancipated from agency custody.
(P)(Q) The PCSA shall document in SACWIS the date the agency
provided the information in paragraphs (E), (L)(M) and (M)(N) to (O)(P) of this rule. The PCPA shall document the information
in the case record.
Effective: 3/1/2019
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 11/7/2018 and 03/01/2024
Certification: CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY
Date: 01/14/2019
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5101.141, 5103.03, 5153.166
Rule Amplifies: 5101.141, 5103.03, 5153.166
Prior Effective Dates: 10/01/1989, 01/01/1991, 10/01/1997, 11/12/2002,
10/09/2006, 10/01/2009, 12/15/2010, 05/10/2014, 07/15/2015, 12/11/2017