Cuyahoga County officials work to decrease number of kids left overnight at office building

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A current 19 Information investigation revealed dozens of teenagers spent multiple night time in a Cuyahoga County workplace constructing in downtown Cleveland to date this yr.

Now, county officers are proposing concepts that would change each the lives of susceptible youngsters and their social employees.

Jacqueline Fletcher is the brand new interim director of Cuyahoga County’s Little one and Household Companies.

She says she’s engaged on plans along with her crew, to maintain youngsters from having to spend the night time within the Jane Edna Hunter workplace constructing.

“I don’t assume we will overcommunicate what’s happening with our children and our households,” She stated.

Our dialog with Fletcher was spurred by the tales of actual households in our communities.

Foster and adoptive moms got here to us, begging for anybody and everybody to assist with the location disaster happening throughout your entire state.

“They’re brave. They’re brave. I applaud them,” Fletcher stated.

Particularly, the moms are anxious concerning the children who need assistance past a household setting.

They’re usually instances violent and combating psychological sickness.

They’re those the county says find yourself on the county’s workplace constructing essentially the most, as a result of residential services aren’t prepared tackle their challenges.

“These sort of youngsters who come to our consideration, the assets for them have been slowly dwindling,” Fletcher stated. “We’ve seen this kind of gradual vacuum, if I can name it that, of assets being pulled out of our communities to essentially tackle the wants of youngsters with the best degree of wants. There are such a lot of causes [why]. I feel partly a few of it has to do with Medicaid. A few of it has to do with simply insurance coverage. We’ve seen our staffing ranges throughout all of our continuums kind of dwindle as well– 88 counties in Ohio all vying for a similar assets. So, as we’ve seen this drift away from residential services, we’ve needed to make some changes and the way we tackle these wants that these youngsters and households include.”

After reissuing the decision for assist from group companions just lately, Fletcher says the Facilities for Household and Kids proposed a plan that might open up eight beds for youths who’re awaiting placement.

And, not like at different residential services, the youngsters wouldn’t have to satisfy any normal requirement to be accepted in.

“They wont reject or eject any specific youngster ready that placement that they’re needing,” Fletcher stated.

The county authorized an emergency contract with The Facilities final week. It offers $500,000 for the power to start preparations for added intakes.

Finally, the contract must return earlier than county council for added funding, however officers aren’t positive when that may occur but.

Within the meantime, the county has already dedicated a sheriff’s deputy to the Jane Edna constructing 24 hours a day.

“We heard very clearly that, you understand workers weren’t feeling a protected,” Fletcher stated.

19 Information instructed you about considerations employees voiced in July.

Two social employees addressed county council, saying the troubled teenagers coming into Jane Edna have been a risk to not solely one another, however the workers.

“It’s a wrestle proper to have children are available in with this excessive degree,” Fletcher stated.

That’s why the director additionally says her division will suggest a plan to provide raises to social employees.

“Many people didn’t get into the sphere for the pay, but it surely helps,” Fletcher stated.

Extra pay and fewer children saying at their workplace constructing, Fletcher says, is the important thing to maintain good social employees.

However, there’s no actual timeline for when the raises will likely be proposed or go into impact, beds will open up on the Facilities and youngsters will now not be compelled to remain the night time at Jane Edna’s childcare room.

“I can’t offer you a timeline or magic bullet. I can solely say these are the components that I imagine are serving to to deal with the location disaster,” Fletcher stated.

Fletcher pressured that she really believes in additionally enhancing the companies for households to allow them to reunite with their youngsters.

If you want to get entangled with supporting households your space, the county has a number of methods to try this listed on their web site.

The state additionally has a number of assets out there to those that wish to discover turning into a foster father or mother.

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