Greetings Friends: Spring is in the air and it's time to welcome all of the new beginnings it brings. We have a lot to look forward to with our Child Abuse Awareness Breakfast coming up and our annual Circus Night event that is held to provide families with a night of free family fun! I enjoy this time of year as the JFS team works to expand and strengthen community partnerships while collaborating on promoting safe children, stable families, and a strong community. Please take a moment to read through our newsletter. We are looking forward to the Career Expo coming up as well as a new grant coming our way to help those in need. Our staff work hard every day to provide opportunities for our customers to succeed. May the promise of Spring's arrival bring you hope and joy. Warmest Regards,

Emancipation Season for the CSEA With Spring upon us, many high school students are looking forward to the end of the school year and some even graduation. For many child support customers, it may mean the end of their child support obligation.  There are various reasons why a child support order would terminate. In Ohio, a child support order terminates upon the emancipation of a child which generally occurs when the child has turned 18 years old and graduates from high school (whichever one happens last). Emancipation can also occur when the child turns 19 years old even if he/she has not graduated. A child support order shall not remain in effect past 19 years of age, unless ordered by the court. The CSEA will conduct an investigation of a child’s emancipation. The agency will determine if the child support order should terminate or continue and send notice of the child support investigation to both parties of the case. The parties have the right to request an administrative hearing concerning the results of the CSEA investigation. The parties may also object to the Administrative Hearing Decision by filing a motion with the court within 30 days of issuance of the decision. Once the investigation is completed, a proposed order is completed and mailed to both parties.  In 2019, Fairfield County CSEA completed 663 emancipation investigations.

New Grant Helps Us Better Serve Those In Need Protective Services is excited to share we have received funding to provide supportive case work services, made possible by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This Opioid Emergency Recovery Grant was offered to all 88 Ohio counties with the ability to select how the funds were utilized, within defined parameters, to best meet county needs. The funding allows Protective Services to employ an additional, time-limited, caseworker to assist families who have been impacted by an opioid use disorder or substance use. Individuals with substance use disorder tend to demonstrate better outcomes with increased contact from service providers. This position will allow Protective Services to provide more frequent contact and support, in an effort to help families be successful.  The selected individual will also provide community education and outreach related to the opioid impact on child protection cases.  The agency hopes to have an individual identified, selected, and working in the role by the end of March. For additional information, please contact Stacey Bergstrom at 740-652-7707.

Thank You for Your Donations  As we reflect on the 2019 holiday season, we can’t help but smile. We are so grateful for the community support we received during the Protective Services Holiday Donation Drive. Once again with your amazing support and generous donations we were able to fill the wish lists of more than 500 children and 17 elderly adults in Fairfield County.  Your partnership and sense of community spirit during the 2019 holiday season is an inspiration to our staff as we strive for child safety and family stability in Fairfield County. The donations of your gifts and your time have touched the lives and hearts of so many. Once again, we sincerely thank you.

Career Expo for High School Juniors and Seniors The Fairfield 33 Development Alliance, in partnership with Fairfield County school's Business Advisory Council and Ohio Means Jobs Fairfield County, is hosting its second annual Career Readiness Expo on April 1, 2020. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fairfield County Workforce Center, 4465 Coonpath Rd NW, Carroll, OH 43112. The event is free and open to all juniors and seniors in the county along with their parents. It will introduce local careers to these students, many of whom can start working immediately after high school. Last year there were more than 50 employers and 120 students who attended the Expo. "There are a lot of students graduating high school who have a strong work ethic but don’t know about the great careers that are out there,” said Rick Szabrak, Fairfield County Economic and Workforce Development Director. This Expo helped some of those students start careers last year. I’m hoping to see even a larger turnout of students, parents, and employers this year.”  Moving it to the Fairfield Workforce Center will allow for more employers to be at the event. It will also give the County a chance to introduce businesses and students to the Workforce Center, which will introduce programming from Hocking College and Ohio University later this year. Students, parents, and local employers can sign up at Fairfield33.com. It is free for businesses to have a table. Email Rick Szabrak at Rick.Szabrak@FairfieldCountyOhio.gov.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." – James Matthew Barrie

‌ ‌ ‌