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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) Definitions
(1) “Block parent program” means a program in which individuals or families volunteer to have their homes or other buildings serve as places of temporary refuge for children and to display a symbol identifying the home or building as such a place.
(2) “Sponsoring agency” means any of the following:
(a) City, local, exempted village, or county school district; (b) Chartered nonpublic school; (c) Municipal or township police department; (d) Township police district; (e) County sheriff’s department.
(B) The block parent symbol
(1) The block parent symbol for the state of Ohio shall be a left and right hand forming the outline of a home which encloses an abstract silhouette of two children. The words “BLOCK PARENT” shall be indicated in block-style lettering below the design. The Ohio department of education seal will be displayed in the upper left-hand corner. The sign shall be nine and one-half inches by twelve inches utilizing a background color designated as pantone matching system (“P.M.S.”) #809 C, and the artwork and lettering printed in process black-2C. (See the appendix to this rule.)
(2) The block parent symbol shall be displayed in a house or building window facing the street and/or sidewalk at all times.
(3) The block parent symbol must be returned immediately to the sponsoring agency if the approved volunteer parent moves to another residence or fails to abide by the rules adopted by the state board of education and the sponsoring agency.
(C) Requirements for a sponsoring agency
(1) A sponsoring agency that establishes and maintains a block parent program shall:
(a) Adopt as the exclusive symbol of that program the block parent symbol established by the state board of education in paragraph (B)(1) of this rule, and (b) Abide by the rules established by the state board of education.
(2) A sponsoring agency using the block parent symbol shall maintain on file the following information in addition to any additional information it may require:
(a) Name of volunteer block parent; (b) Address of volunteer block parent; (c) Phone number of volunteer block parent; (d) Names and social security numbers of all temporary and permanent residents in the block parent home.
(3) A sponsoring agency shall inform individuals or families who serve as block parents of the provisions of the “Good Samaritan” statute as found in section 2305.23 of the Revised Code.
(4) In planning for a block parent program, a sponsoring agency should consult with parents and parent groups such as the P.T.A.
(D) A chartered nonpublic school within a school district that wishes to participate in that district’s block parent program shall declare its intention in a written statement to the district’s board of education and to the state board of education and shall abide by the rules established by the state board of education and the district board of education.
(E) A municipal or township police department, township police district, or county sheriff’s department may use the block parent symbol adopted by the state board of education in a block parent program established, sponsored, or maintained by such department or district if it notifies the state board of education of its intent to use the symbol and agrees to conduct its program in accordance with rules of the state board of education.
(F) A person who serves as a volunteer block parent in a block parent program approved by the state board of education shall be approved by the sponsoring agency maintaining the program. Criteria for such approval may include, among other things, an interstate identification index (“I.I.I.”) criminal record check of such person and that person’s family performed by a law enforcement authority.
(G) A person who serves as a volunteer block parent in a block parent program approved by the state board of education shall be eighteen years of age or older.
(H) A board of education that is maintaining a block parent program established prior to October 17, 1985 shall not be required to use or instruct volunteers to display the block parent symbol adopted by the state board of education until August 15, 1986.
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 01/16/2004 and 01/16/2009
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 3301.076
Rule Amplifies: 2917.46, 3301.076, 3313.204
Prior Effective Dates: 12/23/1985, 2/1/1986