LCCS 2007 Report To The Community
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2007 Report To The Community
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2007 at a glance
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New referrals
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4,426
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Substantiated victims
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2,358
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Children served
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11,324
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Average number of children on caseload
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1,895
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Children reunified with their parents
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167
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Adoptions finalized
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183
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Serving Lucas County Children
In 2007, LCCS saw the first decline in referrals and investigations since 2003. The number of child abuse and neglect investigations conducted by our agency had been increasing significantly in recent years. The 4,426 investigations we did in 2007 represent an 11 percent decline from 2006. The number of children on the agency’s ongoing caseload has fluctuated, as well. In 2007, we had an average of 1,895 children on our active caseload, a similar 11 percent decline from 2006.
Where The Children Live
Children and their parents deserve to be together. As we provide services to families,
we prefer that children remain with their birth families if they can safely do so. We
are able to serve about 4 in 10 children in their own homes, with the parent(s)
retaining custody.
When children cannot live safely with their parents and it becomes necessary to place
them with a different family, we first look for relatives who are qualified and
available. If placement with an appropriate relative is not possible, we then turn
to one of our more than 300 foster homes to provide temporary care for the child.
Often, the problems in the home are too severe for children to be reunited with their
birth parents. In these instances, we develop a plan of permanency for the children.
That plan may include living with a relative, a long-term foster care placement that
ends when the child becomes an adult, or adoption. Last year, Children Services placed
162 children into adoptive homes.
In 2007, we had an average daily caseload of 1,895 children. Almost all (98
percent) of these children were living in a family environment:
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733 (39 percent) were living in their own homes;
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540 (28 percent) were living with a relative or other kinship caregiver;
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570 (31 percent) were in foster care or a similar placement.
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Only 52 children (3 percent) were in a non-family setting. Of these, 39 were in
a group home or private institution and the rest in other placements.
Accreditation
In February 2005, we were awarded national accreditation by the Council on Accreditation
(COA) and became full members of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). Our agency
became the 12th county child protection agency in Ohio and just the 25th nationwide to
receive the designation.
 The accreditation process was a substantial undertaking – a four-year process that
required the effort of more than 70 staff. We’re proud of the accomplishment, yet our
goal was not accreditation. Our goal was and always has been continuous improvement
in our service to children and families. Accreditation is merely a vehicle to get us
there.
Our Staff
Our ability to provide quality, continuous services to our clients would not be
possible without a well-trained, capable staff. Our 201 caseworkers have an average
 of 9-10 years of experience with the agency. They receive 90 hours of core training
during their first year of service and a minimum of 36 additional hours of training
annually.
The caseworkers are supported by legal, case review, health services, visitation and
transportation departments, as well as training and development and data processing
units. We have 398 employees.
Revenue and Expenses
Agency expenses in 2007 totaled $46,791,473. Employee compensation and the cost of placing children remain the agency’s two largest expenses. Child protection is very labor intensive and requires close contact between caseworkers and families to ensure the safety of children. Revenues were $44,473,044. The largest source of funding is the federal government, followed closely by the two Children Services tax levies. The 1.0 mill levy will expire at the end of 2008 while the 1.4 mill levy will expire in 2011. Other funding came from the state and miscellaneous sources. The agency used $2,318,429 in reserves to balance its budget during 2007.
2007 Revenue
| Levy |
19,946,104 |
44.8% |
| Federal |
20,241,494 |
45.5% |
| State |
3,626,130 |
8.2% |
| Other |
659,316 |
1.5% |
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Total Revenue |
$44,473,044 |
100.0% |
2007 Expenses
| Salaries & Benefits |
25,168,917 |
53.8% |
| Placement Costs |
11,568,009 |
24.7% |
| Child Welfare Contracts |
2,144,573 |
4.6% |
| Day Care |
1,993,550 |
4.3% |
| Other Client Costs |
2,043,339 |
4.4% |
| Other Contracts |
384,691 |
0.8% |
| Other Operating Costs |
3,488,393 |
7.4% |
| TOTAL
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$46,791,473
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100.0% |
Report to the Community - Print Version
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