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LAKE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES Kinship Resource Guide |
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Raising a child comes with many joys but for individuals raising a relative or a friend’s child (also known as kinship care), it can also create many unexpected burdens. This resource guide has been developed to help answer many of your questions regarding available services in Lake County including financial, legal, educational, and supportive resources which may be available to you.
The Lake County Department of Job and Family Services is committed to assisting you with this undertaking. If you have questions about the information provided in this guide or need assistance in initiating services, please do not hesitate to contact Lori O’Brien at obriel01@odjfs.state.oh.us or (440) 350-4311.
CHILDREN GROW BETTER IN FAMILIES
Caregivers may be eligible for assistance programs through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to help meet the needs of the child in their care. Some of these programs are specific to relatives of the child. Some of these programs do not consider the caregiver’s income in determining eligibility. Below is a description of income maintenance assistance programs.
Ohio Works First- Cash Assistance for Relatives Caring for Children This is a cash assistance program available to assist caregivers in providing for children who are relatives. The caregiver’s income is not considered for the OWF-Cash Assistance program. In order to be considered for assistance through this program, relatives must submit an application for assistance in the county where the caregiver resides. A link to this application is provided below. For questions regarding this program in Lake County, please call (440) 350-4000.
Kinship Permanency Incentive Program (KPI)
Food Assistance Assistance is provided for the purchase of food products by determining eligibility based upon family size and gross monthly income. To be considered for this program, relatives must submit an application for assistance in the county in which they reside. A link to this application is provided below. For questions regarding this program in Lake County, please call (440) 350-4000.
Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging Caregivers who are 60 years of age or older may be eligible to receive one coupon set worth $50.00 to redeem for fresh produce and honey through the Ohio Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. The purpose of this program is to improve the nutritional health of low-income older adults and to increase business for local farmers throughout Ohio. You may be eligible if you have an annual income of $20,035 or less. Applications for the program are available at WRAAA authorized senior centers. For more information you can call 216-621-0303 or visit their website at www.psa10a.org.
Assistance may be provided to subsidize the cost of child care to eligible families with children under age 12 whose caretaker(s) are employed, attending school or cooperating with their self sufficiency contract. Over 70 licensed child care centers in Lake, Ashtabula, Geauga and Cuyahoga counties are under contract with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for the purpose of providing subsidized child care. To be considered for this program, relatives must submit an application for assistance in the county in which they reside. A link to this application is provided below. For questions regarding Day Care eligibility in Lake County, please call (440) 350-4483 or (440) 918-4483.
Medical Medical assistance may be available to relative providers for the children in their care regardless of the family’s income. Benefits may include medical coverage for physician office visits, prescriptions, and hospitalization. To be considered for this program, relatives must submit an application for assistance in the county in which they reside. A link to this application is provided below. For questions regarding this program in Lake County, please call (440) 350-4000.
The following link provides access to the application for the above mentioned assistance programs: http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/inter.asp Click on form number and enter 7200 in search box
To request an application be mailed to you, please call (440) 350-4483 or (440) 918-4483.
PCSAO (Grandparent Caregiver Affidavit) House Bill 130 created legal documentation to assist Grandparent Caregivers who are caring for children without any court involvement or custody paperwork. When properly completed, notarized and filed with the court, these forms will assist grandparents in enrolling grandchildren in school and participating as the parent; accessing routine and emergency medical and dental care. Follow http://www.pcsao.org/KinshipSupports.htm to obtain these forms.
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Salvation Army Salvation Army sites are located throughout Lake County and offer social, recreational, and supportive services to individuals and families. Services include a food pantry, clothing room, emergency financial assistance, as well as an after-school tutoring program. For more information in Lake County, call (440) 354-3774.
Catholic Charities Services Emergency services are available to assist with rental/mortgage assistance and food (Food Force) to individuals in need of emergency food resources. For more information in Lake County, call (440) 352-6191 or (440) 946-7264
The purpose of the WIC program is to provide eligible women, infants and children within Lake County with supplemental food and nutritional counseling for children up to age 5. Eligibility guidelines are based on the gross earnings of the household.
For more information in Lake County contact: Central East West 33 Mill Street 33 East Main St. 37111 Euclid Ave. Painesville, Ohio 44077 Madison, Ohio 44057 Willoughby, Ohio 44094 (440) 350-2552 (440) 428-2003 (440)269-8790
Social Security Administration The Social Security Administration can offer help in applying for social security benefits and/or supplemental security income as well as information on obtaining a social security card, retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits. Children with a mental and/or physical disability which severely limits their activities may be eligible for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. Caregivers can obtain more information by visiting www.ssa.gov or calling (800) 772-1213.
Lake County Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA) The Lake Metropolitan Housing Authority assists families in finding affordable and safe housing through two federal housing programs: Housing Choice Voucher Program (formally Section 8) and the Public Housing Program. Under these programs low-income families may have the security they need to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
189 First Street, Painesville, OH 44077 Phone: (440) 354-3347
The Lake County Probate Court hears and oversees cases such as guardianship, adoption, and name changes for Lake County. Court forms are available on the website: www2.lakecountyohio.org/probate
Lake County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division 25 North Park Place Painesville, OH 44077 (440) 350-2626
Lake County Juvenile Court The Lake County Juvenile Court oversees cases concerning any person under eighteen years old who is alleged to be a juvenile traffic offender, delinquent, unruly, abused, neglected, or dependent in Lake County. Juvenile Court also has jurisdiction in adult cases involving paternity, child abuse, non-support, contributing to the delinquency of minors, and failure to send children to school.
53 E. Erie Street Painesville, OH 44077 (440) 350-3000 www.lakecountyohio.gov/juvenile
Lake-Geauga Legal Aid Lake-Geauga Legal Aid is a non-profit agency providing free legal assistance to low income residents of Lake and Geauga counties. Lake-Geauga Legal Aid is part of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Key Bank Building 8 North State St., Room #300 Painesville, OH 44077 (440) 352-6200 Toll Free: 1-888-808-2800
Fair Housing Resource Center
70 West Erie Street, Suite 260 Painesville, OH 44077 Phone (440) 392-0147 Toll Free (866) 411-3472 TTY Line (440) 392-0148 www.fairhousingresourcecenter.org/
Additional Support for Kinship Caregivers
GrandsPlace GrandsPlace offers grandparents and other caregivers an opportunity to reach out to others for support in a safe and accepting environment. GrandsPlace is not a legal service and cannot offer legal advice; however, they can offer knowledge, advice and a sympathetic ear because they have been where you are.
Ohio Resource Guide for Relatives Caring for Children The Ohio Resource Guide provides kinship caregivers with information on finding help with expenses, medical services for the caregiver as well as their children, education and legal services for the state. http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/inter.asp Click form number and enter 8146 in search box.
Lake County Council on Aging The Lake County Council on Aging services those who are 60 years of age and older. They provide support, information and referral, and a variety of other services such as nutrition and safety education as well as computer training.
8520 East Avenue Mentor, OH 44060 (440) 205-8111
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Painesville Administrative Office 8 North State Street Suite 360 Painesville, OH 44077 440-352-2526 www.bbbsneo.org
Lake County General Health District
33 Mill St. Painesville, OH 44077 (440) 350-2554
Lake Health Systems Lake Health Systems mission is “to provide comprehensive health care services to the residents of Lake County and neighboring communities in partnership with those who share a commitment to local access, healing with compassion and superior quality.
Oftentimes, children and their caregivers encounter extraordinary circumstances which may require additional services for support, counseling, and behavior management. Below is a list of local counseling agencies in the community which can provide services to children and their caregivers.
Catholic Charities Services Mental Health counseling services are available to address relationship issues, challenges and stressors. Hispanic services are available including community outreach, leadership development, juvenile court intervention and community networking. www.clevelandcatholiccharities.org/cccs/lake.htm
8 North State Street Suite #455 Painesville, Ohio 44077 (440) 352-6191 or (440) 946-7264
Crossroads Crossroads provides early childhood programs, school-based interventions, community support and home-based services, individual and family counseling services, a therapeutic alternative school, therapeutic foster and respite care, and child psychiatry to children and adolescents.
Main office: 8445 Munson Road Mentor, Ohio 44060 (440) 255-1700 (440) 205-2444 (Spanish line) (440) 205-6580 (TTY)
Crossroads Early Childhood Services office: The early childhood office offers support, parent/caregiver education, and treatment for children from birth to five years of age and their caregivers. Services can be provided in the home as well as in the community. 1083 Mentor Ave. Painesville, Ohio 44077 (440) 358-7370
Signature Health
Western Reserve Counseling Western Reserve Counseling serves those living in Lake, Ashtabula and Geauga Counties. They provide a vast array of services to children, adolescents and adults including individual, premarital/marital, family and anger management counseling as well as parent education and group counseling. Family counseling is also offered.
Victoria Place on the Park One Victoria Square, Suite 105 Painesville, OH 44077 (440) 352-8954
Educational and Early Intervention Services
Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities Broadmoor School The Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides a broad range of services to individuals in the community with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities including employment and vocational services as well as educational services. Broadmoor School serves children from birth to 3 years of age through the Help Me Grow program, children 3 to 5 years old through the integrated pre-school program, and children 6 through 22 years of age in the school age program. www.lakemrdd.org/
Help Me Grow
*Early Intervention services are offered in partnership with the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Central Intake: (440) 350-2433 http://www.lcghd.org/FormattedText.asp?IncludedPageID=4403
Lake-Geauga United Head Start
Head Start Central Office/Painesville Center 350 Cedarbrook Drive Painesville, Ohio 44077 (440) 392-5636 (866) 407-3452 (Toll free)
A variety of free and low cost services and programs are available to children and their caregivers in addition to no-cost library memberships. Check with your local library for more details.
YMCA of Lake County
The Lake County YMCA sites offer summer day camp each summer for children 4 years of age through 8th grade. Camperships (scholarships) may be available to those families who qualify and can be applied for at your local YMCA branch. A resident (overnight) camp is also available for children in grades 3 through 9 at Camp Fitch. Camp Fitch scholarship applications are available for YMCA members and can be obtained online or at your local YMCA branch.
Community Recreational Centers Many communities have local recreation departments offering sports, memberships to local swimming pools, summer day camps, and other recreational activities to residents. Assistance may be available for some of these programs based upon financial need. Check with your local recreation department for more details.
Willoughby Fine Arts Association: 38860 Mentor Ave. Willoughby, OH 44094 (440) 951-7500
Recreational Services Outside of Lake County
Children’s Museum in Cleveland The Children’s Museum is the only institution in Cleveland completely dedicated to the overall development of children, ages birth to eight years, through family learning. The museum provides exhibits and programs that enhance child development by providing a place where tens of thousands of young children annually.
10730 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (216) 791-7114 www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org
Great Lakes Science Center The Great Lakes Science Center offers a wide range of hands-on experiences for children and their families. The center has over 400 exhibits, camps, field trips as well as great food and shopping.
601 Erieside Ave. Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 694-2000
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo The Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo offers children and their families a variety of
educational opportunities to learn about wildlife.
3900 Wildlife Way Cleveland, OH 44109 (216) 661-6500
(Rev. 11/16/2010)
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The
Kinship Permanency Incentive Program was created to support children
in the homes of relatives or friends who have committed to caring
for them when birth parents cannot. The KPI program provides cash
payments for children in the legal custody or guardianship of the
caregiver. Some families will not be eligible for this program. In
order for a caregiver to be eligible for this program, a court must
have issued an order granting legal custody or legal guardianship to
the caregiver on or after July 1, 2005. The child must be residing
with the caregiver and the caregiver must be a resident of the state
of Ohio. To qualify for KPI funds, the gross income of the
caregiver’s family cannot exceed 300% of the federal poverty
guidelines. For example, the poverty guideline for a family of 3 is
a gross family income below $54,930. KPI payments are in addition
to the Ohio Works First (OWF) case assistance received for the
child. In order to be considered for this program, caregivers
should submit an application in the county in which they reside. In
Lake County, residents may call (440) 350-4311 with questions or to
request an application.
Child
Care
You
can dial 2-1-1 from any landline phone to speak with an information
and referral specialist who can help you find answers for questions
regarding community services and connect you with area resources
that may be able to offer assistance in a wide range of areas from
housing and food to support groups and counseling services. The
service is free and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 2-1-1
is not an emergency line. If you have an emergency you should call
9-1-1 immediately. 2-1-1 is the result of a collaborative effort
among community partners including United Way of Lake County, the
Lake County ADAMHS Board, and the Lake County Commissioners.
Women,
Infants, and Children Program (WIC)
Lake
County Probate Court
The
Fair Housing Resource Center (FHRC), Inc. offers housing programs
for residents of Lake County. The mission of Fair Housing Resource
Center is to promote equal housing opportunities for all persons and
to advocate for fair housing and diversity in Lake and surrounding
counties through the education and involvement of the public, the
governments, and the business community. FHRC operates a
Landlord/Tenant hotline service to county residents to assist them
with their housing rights. FHRC also operates a fair housing intake
complaint service for victims of housing discrimination. FHRC is a
Housing Counseling agency certified by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development and provides homeowner counseling such
as foreclosure prevention, predatory lending, home financing and
repairs.
Big
Brothers Big Sisters offers an array of programs including a
community and school based programs where children are specifically
matched with an adult volunteer mentor. The community based program
accepts children ages 6-15 and the school based program offers after
school and Lunch Buddy programs to children in grades 3-5. Programs
are available at no cost to families.
Signature
Health is a community-based agency who provides services to adults,
children, adolescents and their families with mental health and/or
substance abuse problems. Services include diagnostic assessments,
outpatient/inpatient counseling and case management among others.
Signature Health services are available through Lake, Ashtabula and
Cuyahoga County.
Help
Me Grow supports the well being of young children and their
caregivers through home based specialized service, parent/caregiver
education, and linkage to other community services. Services offered
include: child developmental screenings including vision, hearing
and nutrition; home visitation services for case management and
parent/caregiver education; referrals to community services; and
full comprehensive developmental evaluations for children with
medical diagnosis or suspected developmental delays. Services are
free to qualifying families.
Head
Start is a preschool program for children ages 3 to 5 years old with
an emphasis on preparing children for kindergarten. Children are
individually assessed by trained early education staff to determine
their developmental and educational needs. Additional services are
available to meet the needs of children with disabilities such as
speech and occupational therapies as well as vision and hearing
accommodations. Services are also available to children and their
caregivers in the home to address developmental, emotional, and/or
behavioral needs. There are three sites in Lake County and one site
in Geauga County. 
Lake
County YMCA
The
Fine Arts Association is a gathering place for individuals to learn,
create, enjoy and appreciate the arts. From ballet and portrait
painting classes to piano lessons and theatre classes, The Fine Arts
Association educates thousands of students in the arts each year.
The Fine Arts Association also presents a full season of live
performances and concerts at very reasonable prices. Financial need
scholarships for programs may be available to those who qualify.
