|
Issue 54: February 3, 2026 |
|
For Your Awareness
Help Shape Future Statutory Changes for DCY Programs
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is beginning early planning for potential statutory proposals for the SFY 2028–2029 budget process. As part of this effort, we are inviting partners and stakeholders to share ideas for Ohio Revised Code (ORC) changes that could improve the administration of DCY programs and better support children, families, and providers.
We are particularly interested in feedback on:
- Statutory language that creates barriers or unintended consequences
- Areas where statute may be unclear, outdated, or inconsistent with current practice
- Opportunities to improve efficiency, alignment, or service delivery
Stakeholders may submit multiple suggestions, including proposed changes to more than one ORC section.
Submit your feedback here.
Deadline for submission: March 31, 2026
All feedback will be reviewed by DCY as part of internal policy and legislative planning. Submission of a suggestion does not guarantee inclusion in the Department’s final budget proposals but will help inform our discussions and priorities. We appreciate your partnership and your continued commitment to improving outcomes for Ohio’s children and families.
|
|
Maternal & Infant Wellness |
|
|
Programs focus on improving birth outcomes, and improving the health status of pregnant women, infants, and children to ensure moms and babies celebrate the child’s first birthday.
|
|
2024 Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey Data Now Available
The Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (OPAS) is an annual population-based survey that collects information on and attitudes of women who’ve had a live birth. OPAS provides information not available from other sources about pregnancy and the first few months after birth. This includes, but is not limited to, information about prenatal care, social support and services, safe sleep practices, and perinatal health.
Data can be accessed on the Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (OPAS) Dashboard which has been updated with the newly released data from the 2024 iteration. For additional information on OPAS including questionnaires, please visit the Department of Children and Youth website, Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (OPAS) | Department of Children and Youth or contact Andrea Arendt.
Supporting Mothers in Need: Exploring Partnerships in Appalachia
Earlier this month, DCY Chief Government and External Affairs Officer Joel Potts was invited to meet with the Board of Directors of Mary’s House, a residency home in Morgan County for pregnant women in need of assistance as they begin their journey into motherhood.
Mary’s House serves families from across the state and provides a comprehensive set of supports, including safe housing, financial education, life and parenting skills training, transportation, and help securing permanent housing and employment. These services play an essential role in helping mothers establish stability and build strong foundations for their families.
The meeting focused on partnership opportunities, as well as ways to connect with other programs serving families throughout Ohio’s Appalachian region. Strengthening these relationships supports shared goals of promoting family well-being, expanding access to services, and ensuring young children and parents have what they need to thrive.
|
|
|
Early Childhood Development |
|
|
The Early Childhood Development programs provide technical assistance, education, and referrals for families and youth with evaluations regarding specific needs and disabilities.
|
|
National Home Visiting Week Toolkit Available
Join DCY and the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals (IAFSP) in celebrating National Home Visiting Week, April 20-24.
The IAFSP has released a toolkit full of ideas and content to help providers celebrate professionals offering home visiting support services to families across the country.
For more information on National Home Visiting Week, visit the IAFSP website.
|
|
|
Initiatives work to connect educators, families, and youth to education
services and supports.
|
|
COSI and DCY Invite Early Childhood Professionals for Free Professional Development
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth is again partnering with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) to present FREE training for early childhood professionals at COSI.
Join COSI for returning favorite Story Stretchers and STEM Starters, along with a brand-new training: Little Explorers + Big Ideas. This new session, which integrates inquiry-based learning with everyday routines, will take place from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. If you missed the November 3 Story Stretchers event, you have another chance to attend this incredible training from 1 – 4 p.m. Early childhood professionals can sign up for one or both sessions. Please note that if you received credit for the November 3 session of Story Stretchers, PD credit cannot be issued for attending a repeat session.
Educators who have attended these sessions shared how energizing it is to intentionally connect multiple domains, noting, “I am excited to connect literacy development and storytelling with STEAM learning. I’ve never intentionally planned both at the same time, within the same lesson.”
Both trainings will take place on February 27 at COSI in downtown Columbus. Check-in is 30 minutes prior to each session. The Atomic Café will be available to purchase lunch. As an added bonus, participants are invited to explore COSI outside of their session times. To register and for more information, click here.
This training is designed for professionals, so we ask that children not attend.
COSI will host additional onsite professional development events on March 20 and April 6.
For questions, reach out to Melissa Courts.
|
Child Care Cred Program Presented at Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce
In January, Chief Government and External Affairs Officer Joel Potts met with the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to discuss the critical role of accessible child care in supporting Ohio’s workforce. More than 75 business leaders attended the event, reflecting growing regional interest in child care as a workforce and economic priority.
During the luncheon, Chamber staff framed the conversation by noting that child care challenges extend beyond families. Many working parents struggle to afford reliable, high-quality care, which can lead to reduced hours, workforce exits, and challenges for employers trying to recruit and retain talent. As they noted, “Ensuring accessible child care is not only a benefit to families, but a strategic investment in our workforce, our economy, and our future.”
The presentation featured new public-private approaches such as Ohio’s Child Care Cred Program and Michigan’s Tri-Share Child Care Program. Both efforts share child care costs between employees, employers, and the state, making care more affordable for families while providing employers with a valuable retention and recruitment tool.
The event underscored growing momentum in the business community to view child care as essential economic infrastructure — strengthening families, expanding workforce participation, and supporting long-term competitiveness.
Pictured left to right: Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development, Lucas County Port Authority; Joel Potts, Chief Government and External Affairs Officer for the Ohio Department of Children and Youth; Wendy Gramza, President and CEO, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce; Chase Eikenbary, Vice President of Project Management, Regional Growth Partnership; and Wendy Pestrue, CEO of United Way of Greater Toledo.
|
Early Childhood Education Grantees
Programs awarded the ECE grant can now identify which staff members are designated as ECE staff in the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR). This enhancement will help ensure accurate records and allow grantees to appropriately identify lead teaching staff, administrators, assistants, and any other individuals who support the ECE grant program.
Please click the link ECE Grantee Organization Dashboard Guidance to assist you in adding your ECE grant staff.
OAC Chapter 3301-51-11 Education of Students With Special Needs
The Department of Education and Workforce has posted Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3301-51-11, “Preschool children eligible for special education,” along with the Business Impact Analysis on its website for feedback and input on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The public comment period closes on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Click here for public comment.
Questions regarding the rule process may be submitted to Brittney.Kneisel@education.ohio.gov.
📚 In the Know Naptime Series: Navigating Behavior: Biting! ✨
Parents and educators, join us as we explore practical, developmentally informed strategies to understand and respond to biting in young children. In this webinar, we will unpack what a child could be communicating through biting, learn proactive strategies to reduce biting behavior, and practice responsive approaches that support safety and emotional regulation. Real-life examples will be shared to illustrate how to turn moments of biting into opportunities for connection, learning, and growth.
Join us for 30 minutes on February 19 at 12:30 p.m. Don't miss out on this valuable learning opportunity!
➡️Register now at this link or by clicking the photo!
|
|
|
Family Support & Stabilization |
|
|
Focuses on enhancing the resources and supports available to parents and families.
|
|
Honoring Parent and Family Voice During National Parent Leadership Month
February is National Parent Leadership Month, dedicated to recognizing the vital role parents and caregivers play in their homes and communities. DCY is committed to incorporating parent and family voice across all our programs and services.
The Family Success Network (FSN) is a voluntary program designed to strengthen and support families based on their unique needs. FSN offers personalized services in parenting education, money management, and family coaching. By working in partnership with a Family Coach, FSN allows parents to determine the level and frequency of support and services they receive. Learn more about the Family Success Network.
Parent and Youth Ambassadors (PYAs) live and work in the communities they serve, helping parents find answers and access the support they need. Many PYAs have lived experience navigating social systems and the pressures of parenting. They take a whole-family approach—supporting the entire family, not just one aspect—and help families learn how to navigate challenges and connect with local resources. Learn more about the Parent and Youth Ambassadors.
Through the federal Family Support through Primary Prevention grant, the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund established its first Parent and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) in Fall 2022. The council participates in focus groups as part of a longitudinal study to gather family perspectives; informs agreed-upon child and family well-being outcomes; helps shape the development of a social norms campaign; and designates members to serve as liaisons on the grant’s leadership body to provide ongoing parent perspective throughout implementation.
These are just a few of the ways DCY incorporates parent and family voice into our work. To learn more about National Parent Leadership Month and available resources, visit the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance.
|
|
Children Services, Foster, Kinship, and Adoption |
|
|
Children Services, Foster, Kinship, and Adoption programs provide caregivers with support via resources for their individualized needs.
|
|
Public Children Services Agency (PCSA) AVEnueS Mandatory Meeting
We invite PCSA’s to join our team for a mandatory meeting to provide you with updates on the AVEnueS VR Headsets. If you already have a headset or would like to get one, please attend this mandatory meeting. We will be reviewing the new scenarios and discussing the plan to roll out the new headsets. Please register at the link on this flyer.
New Residential Treatment Information System Training Available
We’re excited to announce the release of a new self-directed training module: Ohio Residential Treatment Information System (RTIS): Overview. This session provides a clear introduction to Ohio RTIS—its purpose, core functions, and the value it brings to professional practice. The training walks participants through the system’s key features, including real‑time data reporting, user roles, navigation tools, and the workflows that support timely and accurate information sharing. Whether you’re new to RTIS or looking to refresh your understanding, this overview offers a solid foundation for effective system use. This release is designed to help teams build confidence, improve data consistency, and strengthen coordination across agencies. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how RTIS supports decision‑making and enhances service delivery across Ohio. Register now in CAPS LMS.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio - Enrollment for Ohio’s Foster Care and Kinship Care
As introduced by Governor DeWine in 2024, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) partnered together to enroll every eligible child in Ohio foster care and kinship care in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio. DCY manages all entries and updates for this population to ensure books are delivered monthly directly to age eligible children.
To continue the success of this program, we’re asking for your help! DCY is proud to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio and handles all activities for this population in the program’s book ordering system. Therefore, custodial agencies and foster caregivers should not enroll children in the system and can simply enjoy seeing the excitement the children experience when receiving their books directly to them! When duplicate enrollments happen, this can lead to delays in delivery.
If your foster child or kinship child is receiving duplicate books, please contact Ohio’s Imagination Library team at: Debby@ohioimaginationlibrary.org. For more information, see this flyer that custodial agencies can share with foster caregivers when placing young children in their homes.
Thank you for your partnership and support as we all work together to ensure our young children in foster and kinship care continue to receive their quality books each month through the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio!
Governor DeWine Announces New Initiatives to Combat Human Trafficking
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Andy Wilson, and Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara Wente announced two new initiatives aimed at helping children in the state who may be at risk of human trafficking.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Programs are designed to provide support for teens and young adults who either are in foster care or have aged out of foster care systems and need assistance.
|
|
$10,000 Trade Scholarship for Foster Youth: Application Window Open Now
Please share with eligible foster youth that applications are now being accepted for the American Industries Trade Scholarship. This $10,000 scholarship, paid out over two years, is designed to support current and former foster youth pursuing training or certification in skilled trades.
🔧 Scholarship Benefits Include:
- Tuition assistance
- Tools & equipment
- Housing support
- Professional development
- A strong support system
📌 Key Details:
- Application Opened: February 2, 2026
- Priority Deadline: May 29, 2026
- Eligibility: Ages 17–25; U.S. citizen or permanent resident; accepted into a two-year public or vocational college; pursuing a trade or vocational program.
For more details about which trades are eligible and where to apply, click here for the flyer.
|
|
|
If you have questions about the content above, please reach out to info@childrenandyouth.ohio.gov
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is committed to access, inclusion, and reasonable accommodation in all programs and activities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To request an accommodation, contact the meeting organizer or DCY's ADA Coordinator, at DCY.HumanResources@childrenandyouth.ohio.gov or 614-728-2832 (TTY 711) at least 14 days before the event.
Received this from a colleague? Stay connected!
To be notified of future DCY clearance and BIA postings, sign up here: eNotification.
To receive customized alerts about official rule filing actions, visit RuleWatch Ohio.
|
|
|
|
|
