The document provides information to prepare Ohio youth to share their insights during a Federal Review of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Annual Performance. It outlines topics youth should be prepared to discuss, including their involvement in case planning, permanency options, education plans, and resources for the future. It also summarizes the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), which measures state performance in safety, permanency and well-being of children and holds states accountable. While it measures outcomes like reunification and adoption, it does not specifically measure preparation for independent living. The document notes states face penalties if performance is low and must create plans to improve areas found lacking during reviews.

1. Preparing Ohio
youth to share
their insights
during the
Federal Review
for ODJFS
Annual
Performance
Services
Review

2. • We exist to be the knowledgeable
statewide voice that influences
policies and practices that effect all
youth who have or will experience
out of home care.
OHIO YAB Mission

3. Youth should come
prepared to talk about:
Was your voice included, and were you informed
about:
• Your case plan and Staff Annual Reviews?
• Permanency options?
• Your independent living plan?
• Your transition/case-closing plan?
• Your education plan?
• Resources to help you in the future?
How often did you get to see your siblings?
What are some of the things that you appreciated
about foster care?

4. What is AFCARS?
• The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis
and Reporting System (AFCARS)
measures and holds each state
accountable regarding child welfare.
• They exist to find out what is actually
happening to children/youth and families
when they receive services
• And to lend a hand to States to help
improve their ability to help children/youth
and families reach positive outcomes

5. How does it work?
Child and Family Service Review (CFSR)
has three steps:
1.) Statewide Assessment
2.) On-Site Review
3.) Program Implementation Plan (PIP)
During the On-Site Review, Federal and
State Teams work together, review case
files, interview child, youth and families
who have received services, and talk to
other stakeholders, including courts.

6. What does it measure?
• SAFETY – refers to protecting
Children/Youth from abuse/neglect, and
safely maintaining them in their homes when
possible and appropriate
• PERMANENCE – refers Children/Youth
having permanency and stability in their
living situations, and preserving family
relationships and connections
• WELL-BEING – refers to Children/youth
receiving services to meet educational
needs, and physical and mental health
needs, and providing families with more
ability to provide for their children’s needs

7. What doesn’t it measure?
• LIFE SKILLS PREPRATION – Ohio youth
have discussed the importance of adding an
additional category of “Level of Life Skills
Preparation” to AFCARS in order to
specifically measure the level of
effectiveness of how states prepare today’s
young people in and from foster care.
• Whether today’s foster youth are adopted,
reunified, or age out of care, they each
deserve consistent preparation to build a
positive future.

8. AFCARS does measure
Exit Outcomes
• Exit Outcomes = reunification, adoption,
aging out, and running away
• Preventing Sex Trafficking and
Strengthening Families Act
Agencies are required to provide a
counseling session after youth run away, in
order to find out why the youth went AWOL
and where they went

9. What happens if
states don’t do well?
Fiscal Penalties: State performance
impacts federal funds (Chafee, IV-E, etc.)
Program Improvement Plan (PIP): When a
state does not meet the requirements for any
area of the CFSR, it must develop a plan to
improve those areas needing improvement.
Court Improvement (CIP): State court
systems conduct assessments of their
judicial processes to develop and implement
a plan to improve the handling of statewide
child welfare cases as well.

10. What are Ohio’s current
numbers?
Coming soon…

11. What is Ohio’s Performance
Improvement Plan?
Coming soon…