The Resource Department is responsible for overseeing the foster and adoption programs of Mahoning County Children Services. The Resource Department includes the agency’s Independent Living Program, the Community Education Specialist, the Continuous Quality Improvement Manager, and the Training Unit. New casework employees undergo an extensive training experience in the Resource Services Department’s Training Unit. In the year 2007, there were eight new employees who were trained for casework positions. Some of the services provided by the Resource Services Department include: home study approval and licensing of foster/adoptive parents, adoption preparation for children, ongoing supervision of foster homes and adoptive placements, adoption finalization, crisis management, and implementation and supervision of four adoption benefit programs.  In the year 2007 there were 147 new placements of children placed in a total of 109 foster homes through Mahoning County Children Services. In December 2007 there were a total of 152 children in foster home placement. There were 19 new foster homes licensed this year.

The Resource Services Department also does home study reports for Mahoning County families who are interested in providing a home for a child who may live in another state or county. There were 39 requests for out of county home studies in 2007. In February of 2007 the Resource Services Department took on the additional responsibility of doing home studies needed in the Family Services Department for prospective kinship placements. There were 70 requests for Family Services home studies in 2007. The agency also administers a benefit program for kinship families called the Kinship Permanency Incentive Program; there were an additional 19 home studies completed for this program. There are 79 families currently receiving benefits from the Kinship Permanency Incentive Program.

The Resource Department also houses the agency’s Community Education Specialist, whose duties include presentations on child abuse prevention, teacher and daycare provider training, informational presentations throughout the community, and planning and overseeing special community events. In 2007 the agency participated in the second annual “Pinwheels for Prevention,” a statewide awareness campaign. The child abuse prevention program was presented to 292 students representing three community schools. There were 21 teacher/daycare provider trainings completed with a total of 714 participants. There were 23 community education presentations reaching over 800 community members and professionals. The agency participated in 10 community health fairs for child abuse prevention and foster/adoptive recruitment, reaching over 2,400 participants. In May the agency collaborated with Trumbull County Children Services to present a free concert, “Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago,” at Powers Auditorium to promote the need for foster/adoptive parents in our community. In July the Young Financial Group sponsored a Charity Walk in Mill Creek Park for the benefit of the agency, raising $4,595 for the benefit of the agency’s group homes.

The Independent Living Program strives to provide a continuum of services to youth aged sixteen and older. The Independent Living Coordinator meets with the youth both individually and in a group setting to provide life skills training, job training, and post-secondary education planning and preparation. Three of the agency’s Independent Living youth participated in a statewide Youth Advisory Board in 2007, meeting with state representatives to plan and implement services to youth. There are currently 22 participants in the Independent Living Program.

Mahoning County Children Services finalized the adoptions of 21 children in 2007. Eighteen of these 21 children were adopted by their foster parents. This 85% foster parent adoption rate is an example of the agency’s efforts to maintain children in families with whom they have a significant relationship. There are currently 39 children in the permanent custody of the agency. Seven of these children are in adoptive placement and twelve have had a permanent home identified for them. Twenty children are waiting for an adoptive home to be identified for them.