COLUMBUS — A collaborative effort by four northwest Ohio counties to keep youths with complex behavioral health issues with foster-care families closer to home instead of in congregate settings is about to become a statewide model.
Gov. Mike DeWine recently gave a shout-out during his annual State of the State address to Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wyandot counties for their success in working together to recruit foster-care families with experience in dealing with behavioral issues.
"Not only have they saved money, but they have also created the opportunity for children to remain in a home with a family," he said.
The Public Children Services Association of Ohio has estimated the savings to date at about half a million dollars.
The state wants to replicate what it sees as a success story via a pilot program that will help counties in other regions of the state collaborate in recruiting more local foster parents, providing one-on-one support to those families, providing around-the-clock access to crisis counseling, and providing specialized training.
The idea is to keep children in a home with foster parents better equipped to handle autism, mental health, and other complex behavioral issues, preferably within the counties' borders or in nearby counties rather than elsewhere in the state or across state lines.
"Currently, there are more than 1,800 foster children who live in group settings because there are not foster families willing or comfortable to take on the significant behavioral challenges and complex needs these foster children present," Mr. DeWine said. "And, though some of them do need to be in congregate care, the best place for most children is ultimately in a foster home with adults who love them.”
Northwest Treatment Foster Care Collaborative outside Toledo is the brainchild of Melanie Allen, director of the Sandusky County Department of Job and Family Services. She is intent on improving the "no" to "yes" ratio — the proportion of potential foster families who decline to take children with such complex needs compared to those who say "yes."
In many cases, the net had to be cast more and more widely in the past to find that "yes," and it was wreaking havoc on the county's budget.
"We are starting to see complex needs in younger and younger youth," Ms. Allen said. "With the complications with the young ones, say an 8-year-old who has an autism diagnosis, a traditional family foster home may not be skilled enough in managing that child's needs and behaviors.
"If there's nothing local for us for that, then that means going to a group home setting at a very young age," Ms. Allen said. "It's more expensive, and it's absolutely not the right location for a child."
These children may be autistic, come from abusive homes, or may have already had run-ins with the juvenile justice system.
Ms. Allen said the cost of placing one child in a congregate-care setting is the equivalent of five in treatment foster-care homes.
"The cost savings are astounding," Ms. Allen said.
Kati and Ray Tittle, of Fremont, said “yes" — twice. Already raising an autistic son, Logan, now 18, Ms. Tittle wanted to follow a family tradition and open their home to an 8-year-old girl, S.S., who'd been temporarily removed from her troubled home.
Later, her 10-year-old sister, K.S., joined them after being in kinship care in Columbus, in a group home in Toledo, and then again in Columbus.
"These girls have thrived," said Ms. Tittle, who also brought her experience as director of Advocacy and Protective Services, Inc., a nonprofit serving adults with developmental disabilities.
"[The girls] have done so many wonderful things," she said. "Ray and I give them a life, and they get all A's in school. They're making friends, which is important. ... We give a child love, support, understanding, and no judgment.”
"If Logan was in that situation, I would absolutely want a family to step up and give him what we've been able to give these girls," Ms. Tittle said.
The goal is for the girls to eventually return to their mother and siblings. Ms. Tittle said she would welcome more foster children in the future.
The temporarily expanded Tittle family was preparing for a weekend camping trip to Tall Timbers in Port Clinton.
"They love camping...," Ms. Tittle said. "We had a camper, but we didn't have a camper that met everyone's needs. My son is autistic, so he doesn't go up. When we found out how much they liked camping, we started looking at campers together. We found a camper that met everyone's needs."
Sandusky, Seneca, and Wyandot counties were already under one mental health board. Ottawa later joined.
"Besides sharing funding, we share a staff member who is dedicated only to this project," Ms. Allen said.
Finding foster-care spots has become more difficult as existing foster parents age, and the next generation has yet to take their place.
"The idea is to recruit foster families who are willing and trained to take placement of children with complex needs so that they do not go into residential care," said Scott Britton, PCSAO assistant director. "Some may be traditional foster families who are ready to step up.
"Some have experience working with kids with complex needs," he said. "We can provide evidence-based training for them and 24-7 support. The idea is to create a truly therapeutic placement to help kids heal and go back home."
Some kids may ultimately need greater help than a foster-care home may provide.
"What we know is residential care is more expensive," Mr. Britton said. "A home-setting has better long-term outcomes."
Ms. Allen noted that these foster-care parents may be former police officers, mental health therapists, probation officers, nurses, or others who have "lived experience" with troubled children of their own.
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth received 30 applications from children’s services agencies by the April 26 deadline seeking to form 10 regional partnerships across the state. The plan is to award grants of between $75,000 and $225,000 per pilot program with up to three agencies in each of the state's five children's services regions.
Ms. Allen said her northwest Ohio group applied for funding to potentially expand and provide technical assistance to other districts as they set up similar programs.
"We have our social media campaign," Ms. Allen said. "We put a lot of information out there with our message, about the need. We have dedicated workers at events in all four counties to talk to anyone who wants to hear our need.
"We're pounding the pavement to talk to anyone," she said. "Any time we have inquiries or questions about foster parenting, [the dedicated staff member] is the only talking to them on the front end and helping them to decide which track they are best suited for."
Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent may call 419-334-8708. The same number may be used to register for an open house at the Sandusky County Department of Job and Family Services, 2511 Countryside Drive, Fremont, on May 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
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