Mahoning County Children Services is the public agency responsible for helping abused, neglected and dependent children in Mahoning County. Our staff is committed to providing a healthy, secure environment for each child under our care.

The Intake Department provides emergency social services for families whose children are at risk of child abuse or neglect. The Department is made up of two Units. The Intake Unit assesses calls which involve situations such as lack of supervision, medical neglect and inappropriate home conditions. The Abuse Unit assesses calls which involve either the physical or sexual abuse of children. The Abuse Unit partnerships with the Tri-County Child Advocacy Center, a facility where children are examined by Forum Health staff and video interviews are conducted to reduce the trauma of repeated interviews. The Intake Department staff works closely with law enforcement, medical professions, mental health professions, the prosecutor's office and many other social service agencies to ensure the safety of children.

For information regarding the reporting of child abuse and neglect, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

The Family Services Department provides assistance to at-risk families in order to keep their children safe from abuse and neglect in their own homes. The family, agency, and community come together to identify the family's strengths and concerns, goals and services, and develop a "plan of action" which will empower and support the family in addressing identified problems. If the child for whatever reason is unable to remain in the family's care and custody, a relative or non-relative may be considered for placement.

If this is not possible, then foster care placement may be provided. In those rare occasions when parents are unable to reunify their families, permanent custody of the child may be obtained and adoption services engaged.

The Family Services Department provides an array of supportive services to families: transportation, home management, emergency assistance, therapeutic services and parent education.

The Resource Department is responsible for the agency's foster care and adoption programs. Foster care provides a temporary home with a substitute family for a child who cannot remain with his birth family. While the child is with the substitute family, the agency works with the birth family to reunite the child with them at some future time. While most of the children in foster care return home to their birth family, the agency provides adoption services to children for whom reunification is not an option. The Resource Department also includes pre-service education and home study services to families who desire to be licensed foster and/or approved adoptive parents.

The Resource Department also houses the agency's Independent Living Program, which provides a variety of services to youth in custody who are 16 years and older, who need to learn adult living skills. These services range from teaching cooking, cleaning and laundry skills to budgeting, shopping and employment services.

A Community Education Specialist is also part of the Resource Department. An agency speaker is available to make presentations to groups and organizations on child abuse awareness and prevention. There are programs for both children and adults. The Community Education Specialist also provides professional training to community personnel mandated to report child abuse and neglect.

The Residential Department acts as the administrator for three group homes. This enables the agency to provide housing for up to 30 young men and women. There are 44 adult staff devoted to caring for this group of young people. These young people interact with their peers in the community while participating in activities, school and sports.

Also housed within the Residential Department are three caseworkers that work with other private and public agencies to ensure the care of other young men and women who are in need of a higher level of care.