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The year 2008 proved to be a “Year of Recognition” for foster
children, staff and community supporters. During a wintry snowstorm on Saturday,
March 8, fifteen-year-old Lindsay Giambattista and her mother, Linda
Giambattista, transformed a local business warehouse into “Taylor’s Closet,” a
boutique for teen foster girls. The brainchild of Lindsay, eight of the agency’s
teen girls were treated to an afternoon of lunch and free “shopping” for the
latest new clothing fashions donated by companies across the country, and walked
away with a new sense of self-worth! “Taylor’s Closet” is a registered,
non-profit organization with a mission to build a worldwide community of people
and companies who will give of themselves in order to care for girls in need.
Originating in Florida, Lindsay remembered her family roots in our community and
brought “Taylor’s Closet” to Youngstown to give hope and love to teen girls in
foster care – and indeed she did on this snow-blustery day.
In the Spring of 2008, the Family Visitation Room Committee was formed to
transform the Mahoning County Children Services Visitation Rooms into family
friendly, home-like settings in which children in foster care and their families
might visit. The committee reached out to community organizations and
individuals to obtain the toys and furnishings which would encourage positive
parent-child interaction and relationship building. Despite the local economy,
The Austintown Jr. Women’s League rose to the challenge and totally furnished
one of the rooms, complete with a fully equipped craft cart.
In addition, the Monsignor Mears Knights of Columbus, Council No. 3930, and the
Western Mahoning County Kiwanis Club made greatly appreciated financial
contributions. A local family also purchased an adult glider rocker, a
pre-school activity cube, a children’s wooden kitchen and a variety of puzzles
and youth games for the visitation rooms. Patty Amendolea, a member of our
agency’s staff, added touches of warmth and character with her professional
photographs. These tremendous acts of caring are truly appreciated by agency
staff, foster children and their families.
On September 18,
Family Services Department Therapeutic Worker/Parent Education Coordinator,
Dorothy Staaf, received the coveted Public Children Services Association of Ohio
Outstanding Child Protection Worker of the Year award for the State of Ohio.
“PCSAO presents this award annually to a child protective worker who shows
leadership and special dedication to the field of child protection,” said PCSAO
Executive Director, Crystal Ward Allen. “We are happy to honor her for her good
work.” Mahoning County Children Services and the Family Services Department are
extremely proud of Dorothy and the work she does for children and families!
Also
honored in 2008 were two Mahoning County Children Services children for the
tremendous progress they made in counseling. On November 18 at the Family
Service Agency 100th Anniversary Dinner, these children were recognized. The
Family Service Agency, MCCS staff and foster parent were extremely proud of this
accomplishment.
Finally, the Family Services Department staff and supervisors were most pleased
to learn that they achieved both state and federal standards in a recent Child
Protective Oversight Evaluation for providing services to children and families
under court ordered protective supervision. Through their hard work, this team
was able to earn this service goal!
The goal of the Family Services Department is to strengthen the family unit and
decrease or eliminate risk to children. By using a wide variety of community
services, case management and agency resources, we strive to respond to the
needs of the children and families in our community.
The Family Services Department casework and supervisory staff initiate services
by engaging families to actively participate in the development of their case
plan; they identify what is important to healthy family functioning and take
action to achieve these goals. In 2008, the Family Services Department provided
services to 591 families. Out of the approximately 1,200 children served by this
Department, only 190 children per month were in foster care placement. These
figures clearly demonstrate our commitment to keep children, when possible,
within their own family systems.
When services to support and empower families cannot protect children in their
own homes, placement with extended family or kin may be required. Such least
restrictive placements maintain continuity for children and preserve important
relationships. In 2008, 153 commitments to relative/kin families took place. In
those rare occasions when parents are unable or do not wish to reunify their
families, and no relatives or kin are available, permanent custody may be
obtained. In 2008, the Family Services Department accepted the permanent
surrenders of eight children and was granted permanent custody of thirty other
children, all with the power of adoption.
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