LAW
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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) The Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA), as amended, requires the racial and ethnic diversity of families waiting to adopt be reflective of the racial and ethnic diversity of the children waiting to be adopted. The Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS) requires an increase in recruitment and approval of African-American adoptive families to ensure compliance with MEPA requirements. The source of funding for this allocation is temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) 93.558.
(B) This allocation is issued on a state fiscal year (SFY) basis, July first through June thirtieth. A total of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars in TANF funds is available for state fiscal years (SFY) 08 and SFY 09. This funding will be allocated to six specific public children service agencies (PCSAs) that have been identified as having the highest number of African-American children in their permanent custody. This includes children placed for adoption and adoptions not yet finalized. It will also include all other African-American children in permanent custody. Calculations for the allocation are based on the number of African-American children the county has in custody compared to the total number of African-American children in the six PCSAs.
(C) Allowable expenditures that may be properly charged against the allocation must be reported on the JFS 02820 “The Children Services Monthly Financial Statement” (revised 04/2006) and must be submitted no later than June thirtieth of each fiscal year.
(D) Funding under the allocation can only be used to contract with an individual (personal services contractor) or another third party entity for the purpose of producing two-parent African-American approved applicants, or single-parent African-American approved adoptive applicants whose income is less than one hundred twenty per cent of the state median income standard scaled to family size.
(E) Allocation funds cannot be used to cover PCSA staff time, nor the development of recruitment campaigns, or the purchase of other recruitment materials, unless such campaigns or materials are specifically targeted to seeking the participation of two-parent adoptive families.
(F) Effective October , 31, 2008 and quarterly thereafter, participating PSCAs must submit an “Outcomes and Progress Report” to the office of children and families (OCF), addressing the following topics:
(1) A description of the contract(s) funded through the adoption allocation; and
(2) Results of the contract(s) including the number and names of TANF eligible approved home studies.
(G) The definitions, requirements, and responsibilities contained in rule 5101:9-6-50 of the Administrative Code are applicable to this rule.
Effective: 01/01/2009
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 5101.02
Rule Amplifies: 5101.02
Prior Effective Dates: 10/1/2005, 1/1/2007, 1/15/2008