The January 2003 federal Ohio Child and Family Services Review, an assessment of States for substantial conformity with certain Federal requirements for child protective services, found that Ohio is not consistent in its efforts to protect children from abuse or neglect and that Ohio lacks “clear and consistent statewide criteria” for initial child abuse screening decisions. In response, the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee on Children, Families, and the Courts established the Subcommittee on Responding to Child Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency to determine if Ohio law relating to the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect properly serves children and families in need of government intervention.
A subsequent Subcommittee-commissioned study by the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law (ABA Center) highlighted the need for reform to Ohio law to address the issues identified in the CFSR. This report, and supplemental research directed by the Subcommittee, found that Ohio child welfare statutes and rules are, in many respects, circular, ambiguous and confusing, which leads to inconsistent responses from one county to another and to compromised outcomes for children and families. Also noted were a child protection practice culture and a peculiarly prosecutorial orientation in child protection cases that have led to deep mistrust between parents and the PCSAs.
In response to these issues, the Subcommittee focused its efforts on identifying statutory and practice-based barriers to consistent and effective child protection practice and developed a proposal for broad-based change in systemic philosophy and modification of statutory definitions designed to eliminate the identified barriers.
The ultimate product of the Subcommittee’s two years of intensive work was a set of final recommendations for Ohio to revise its overall child protection statutory structure and adopt a “Child in Need of Protective Services” structure. Such an approach promises to refocus Ohio child welfare law onto the needs of Ohio’s children, leaving to the criminal justice system the punishment of those who cause substantial harm or risk of substantial harm to our children.
The links below are to materials that provide more information on CHIPS and how it impacts child protection law and practice.
ABOUT CHIPS
CHIPS Case Scenarios Executive Summary (Appendices 13 & 14) Final Report of the Subcommittee (Full Report with Appendices)* *Please note: This document is 511 pages. Understanding CHIPS
INFORMATION FOR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS Information for Judges and Magistrates