Virtual meeting with Deputy Director Jeff Van Deusen today

Today's virtual meeting with Deputy Director Jeff Van Deusen of the ODJFS Office for Families and Children went great...

Participants included: Roman Sandhu, Jonathon Thomas, Raven Grice, Makayla Lang, and Alexys Madero of the OHIO YAB, and foster care alumni Amanda Davis, Nikki Chinn, Jaye Turner, Jasmine Hardy and Lisa Dickson.

Two quotes from today's meeting:

• About the need for an Ombudsman's Office: "In my experience, abusive adults charm themselves out of situations, and if the report is not substantiated, the abuse will increase. This is why establishing this office is imperative." ~ Jonathan Thomas
  
  
• About the need to Make Every Training Hour Count: "The foster parent thinks the caseworker is preparing the young person for adulthood, and the caseworker thinks the foster parent is doing it. The private agency thinks the public children welfare agency is doing this, and vice versa."
  
  

Two quotes from the Deputy Director:

• "If I could, I would be on a call like this every hour of my day. I wish I had cleared my calendar for three hours for today's phone call. Let's schedule more regular calls in the future."
  
  
• "It is crucial not to make decisions about people without people. We need to make sure not only to establish a Foster Youth Ombudsman's Office, but to have it operate to effectively meet the need - and your input is what is needed."