Lucas County taking applications for children services task force

TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County is accepting applications until the end of the month to serve on the task force that aims to restore the community’s trust in the Lucas County Children Services agency and revise its operations where necessary.

Sarah Elms, a spokesperson for the county commissioners, explained in a press release that applicants for the task force, which will work with national nonprofit Casey Family Programs to “review systemic, procedural, and operational issues facing the child protection system in Lucas County,” need to meet five categories of criteria to serve on it.

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• “Lived experience in the system: examples include, but are not limited to, a foster parent, an individual who lost and/or regained custody of their children, or someone who aged out of the system.
• A professional in the system: examples include, but are not limited to, a group home operator, agency partner, or individual who has employment experience in the child welfare system.
• Safety and criminal justice professional: examples include, but are not limited to, a Toledo Police Officer, a juvenile court judge, or a guardian ad litem.
• Mandatory reporters: examples include, but are not limited to, a teacher, school nurse, counselor, pediatrician, emergency room doctor, social worker, or coach who, because of their profession, are required to report child abuse or neglect.
• Community leaders: examples include, but are not limited to, a faith leader, a community center leader, or a youth mentor.”

Applicants must email a letter of interest explaining which of those categories they are in, along with relevant credentials, by 5 p.m. on April 30 to RWells@co.lucas.oh.us.

There are also some factors that will bar an individual from being considered, like if an applicant has or has had “an open child welfare case within the past 12 months” or “is involved in active litigation that would pose a conflict of interest with the task force.”

If an applicant has been convicted in the past five years of felony assault or domestic violence, felony drug trafficking or distribution or a felony weapons charge, they will not be considered. If they have ever been convicted of felony child endangerment, sexual abuse or exploitation of a child, intentional physical harm to a child, kidnapping or anything that requires registration as a sex offender, they will also not be considered.

Applicants will also be given two forms — a consent to release of information and waiver of liability — they must sign to be considered.

There is also no cost to the task force working with Casey Family Programs, Elms said. The nonprofit “offers strategic consultation, technical assistance, data analysis, and independent research for child welfare systems, policymakers, courts, and tribes across the country to enhance partnerships, improve practice and policy, and ensure that improvements will endure over time.

Three people with experience in children and family services in Lucas County are selecting the task force members, according to Elms:

• Robin Reese, former executive director of LCCS
• Breda Osburn, the county’s director of Job and Family Services
• Suzette Cowell, children services’ board chairperson

They began meeting at the beginning of April, about one week after the body of 13-year-old Kei’Mani Latigue was found in an abandoned home in east Toledo after being reported missing.

Kei’Mani’s death spurred a community push to learn more about children services’ role in her home life and how the Lucas County agency responded to reported issues behind closed doors. The task force will not investigate her case, however, and the officials who ordered its formation say the group’s purpose is to more generally repair a strained relationship with the public.

Kei’Mani’s father has been accused of killing her and was indicted Wednesday on a slew of charges in her death.