Youth Engagement

Fairfield County Protective Services values the voice of youth in decision making for their lives.  Youth voice is imperative in case planning, family engagement and in establishing meaningful permanency.  All youth, regardless of their story, deserve physical and emotional safety, to be involved in current and future planning and to have supports and legal permanency that is life-long.  Legal permanency is defined as reunification, legal custody to kin or non-related kin, adoption and adult adoption.  Fairfield County demonstrates this by the following:

  • Youth Centered Permanency Roundtable
  • Family Team Meetings
  • Best Plan for Me
  • Permanency Pact
  • Independent Living Assessment (for youth in agency custody ages 14+)
  • Transitional Living Plan (for youth in agency custody ages 14+)
  • Minds Matter Toolkit regarding psychotropic care
  • Opportunities to attend court hearings related to the agency case
  • Participation in medical, dental, mental health appointments
  • Participation in educational planning
  • Information regarding statewide advocacy for youth in agency custody (Youth Advisory Board, Finding Pathways to Success Conference, Ohio Independent Living Association)
  • Independent Living services preparing youthin custody age 14+ for success (linkage with community resources, opportunity for real life practice, support during learning)
Post Emancipation services for youth who have aged out of foster care.  Services can include assistance in locating housing, employment, academic support, health education, budgeting, and home management.  These services are aimed at those youth emancipated from foster care who are age 18 to 21.