Rule 5180:5-1-01 | Administration of bridges.
(A) Who qualifies as a bridges' young adult?
In accordance with section 5180.428 of the Revised Code, a bridges' young adult is defined as a person to whom the following apply:
(1) Emancipated through the legal process of custody termination from a Title IV-E agency on or after attaining the age of eighteen.
(2) Has attained the age of eighteen but has not yet attained the age of twenty-one.
(3) Has submitted documentation to verify at least one of the following eligibility criteria:
(a) Completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential.
(b) Enrolled in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocational education.
(c) Participating in a program or activity designed to promote or remove barriers to employment.
(d) Employed for at least eighty hours per month.
(e) Incapable of doing any of the activities as described in paragraphs (A)(3)(a) to (A)(3)(d) of this rule due to a diagnosed physical or mental health condition.
(B) What form is to be provided to an eligible young adult upon request to apply for bridges?
The DCY 01626 "Bridges Application" is provided to an emancipated young adult upon request.
(C) What documents are the emancipated young adult to submit to DCY?
The emancipated young adult is to submit to the bridges representative the completed DCY 01626 "Bridges Application" that is signed by the young adult and the representative, along with verification of eligibility, in accordance with paragraph (A)(3) of this rule. Verification of eligibility can include, but is not limited to, the following documents:
(1) School enrollment letter.
(2) Most recent grade card or report card.
(3) Current college transcript.
(4) Current paystubs showing that hours worked were within thirty calendar days from the date of bridges application.
(5) Letter from an employer stating that the applicant is currently employed.
(6) Social security award letter supporting eligibility under paragraph (A)(3)(e) of this rule.
(D) How is an applicant determined eligible for bridges?
Upon submission of the DCY 01626, application and requested documents, a representative will determine if the applicant is eligible to participate in bridges.
(E) What happens if the applicant is determined eligible for bridges?
The representative will provide the applicant with the DCY 01617 "Bridges Voluntary Participation Agreement" for the applicant to sign to enter/begin the program. The DCY 01617 is to be signed by the young adult, the representative, the supervisor, and DCY. The effective date is the date of the DCY director or designee's signature.
(F) Who is to complete a bridges assessment?
A representative and the young adult are to complete a bridges assessment in the Ohio statewide automated child welfare information system (SACWIS) within thirty calendar days of the effective date of the DCY 01617.
(G) When is a bridges case plan developed, and what does it include?
A representative is to work with the young adult to develop a bridges case plan within sixty calendar days of the effective date of the DCY 01617 in Ohio SACWIS.
(1) The plan is to be personalized and as detailed as the young adult chooses.
(2) The young adult, the representative, and the supervisor are to sign the agreed-upon case plan.
(3) A copy of the case plan containing the signatures of the young adult, the representative and the supervisor is to be provided to the young adult either in hard copy, or electronic format as requested by the young adult, within seven calendar days of the young adult's signature.
(4) The bridges case plan may be amended at any time with the agreement of the young adult, representative, and the supervisor and signatures updated accordingly.
(H) How often is a representative to visit the young adult?
(1) In-home visits must be completed in the approved living arrangement to receive financial support from bridges.
(2) Face-to-face contact must be made monthly with the young adult to remain in the bridges program.
(3) If the young adult resides in a college dormitory, the young adult may request that the visit occur at another location on campus.
(4) With the agreement of the young adult, virtual visits may occur once quarterly; virtual visits are not to occur in consecutive months. The agreement to virtual visits is to be documented within an activity log in Ohio SACWIS.
(I) What is to be documented during the monthly visits in Ohio SACWIS?
Each monthly visit with the young adult and any dependent is to be documented in Ohio SACWIS as an activity log, and is to address, at a minimum, the following:
(1) Safety and well-being of the young adult.
(2) The progress of the bridges young adult toward their bridges case plan goals.
(3) Any new or pertinent information that is affecting the young adult, including information the young adult specifically wishes to have documented in the activity log.
(J) Can courtesy visits be arranged for out-of-state young adults?
A representative may request courtesy monthly face-to-face visits for an Ohio bridges young adult who resides in another state. The requests are to follow the directives outlined in Chapter 5180:2-52 of the Administrative Code.
(K) Can another state request that a representative complete a courtesy visit for eligible emancipated young adults who have been placed into an approved supervised independent living setting in Ohio?
A representative is to conduct courtesy monthly face-to-face visits for eligible emancipated young adults who have been placed into approved supervised independent living settings in Ohio through the "Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children" pursuant to the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and Chapter 5180:2-52 of the Administrative Code.
(L) When is a safety check of the living setting conducted?
A representative is to conduct a safety check of the young adult's living setting within seven business days of the young adult's initial placement or any subsequent housing change, including changes to settings located outside of Ohio.
(1) The safety check is to be conducted with the young adult present.
(2) The safety check is to be approved or denied by the representative.
(3) The safety check is to be signed by both the young adult and the representative and supervisor.
(M) How often and how is the bridges case plan reviewed?
A representative is to conduct a review of the bridges case plan at least every one hundred eighty calendar days from the effective date of the DCY 01617.
(1) The review is to include an examination of the current goals and services identified in the plan.
(2) The review is to include verification of the young adult's continued eligibility for the program.
(3) An updated bridges case plan is to be signed by the young adult and approved by the representative, and a copy is to be provided to the young adult within seven calendar days of the review.
(N) When is the current bridges case plan and review to be submitted to the court?
A copy of the current signed bridges case plan and the most recent plan review is to be submitted to the court at least fourteen calendar days prior to any scheduled bridges court hearing.
(O) What are the credit reporting requirements for the young adult?
A representative is to request a credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies at least once per year during the young adult's enrollment.
(1) The young adult is to receive a copy of their consumer credit report each year and is to receive a final report and explanation within sixty calendar days of turning twenty-one.
(2) The representative is to assist the young adult in resolving any inaccuracies found in the credit report by working with the young adult and the Ohio attorney general's office.
(P) Are bridges case records confidential?
Yes, all bridges case records that are prepared, maintained, and permanently kept by the representative are confidential. Information contained within Ohio SACWIS is confidential pursuant to section 5180.401 of the Revised Code. If case information cannot be recorded in Ohio SACWIS, it may be recorded in an alternate electronic format.
(Q) Can a bridges' young adult request a summary of services?
Yes, a summary of bridges case services is to be provided to the young adult upon request.
Last updated May 1, 2026 at 8:18 AM