Service Coordination: A Guide for Families
Part 7 - Monitoring Progress

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Service Coordination: A Guide for Families
Part 7 - Monitoring Progress

The law says that Ohio's counties must have FCFC service coordination to help families get services in a way that is simple and organized. Important! The law also says that the Family and Children First service coordination system must be evaluated and monitored to make sure that the system works and helps. The law says the state and each county, with the help of families, must monitor Family and Children First service coordination.

How does the state monitor service coordination?

The Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council (the Cabinet Council) is a group of leaders of state agencies who monitor service coordination in Ohio. The Cabinet Council must do these things to monitor service coordination:

• Review individual family service coordination plans for children when a county FCFC asks.
• Help when a county FCFC refers a child to the Cabinet Council, if the Cabinet Council decides that the county needs the Cabinet Council's help.
• Monitor and be in charge of a system of services for infants and toddlers who have developmental disabilities or delays.
• Establish a state appeals process to resolve disputes among the local FCFC members about who is responsible for services.

The law also suggests other, voluntary ways the Cabinet Council may monitor service coordination:

• Give advice and recommendations to the governor and the Ohio legislature about getting services to children.
• Give counties advice about service coordination.
• Make contracts with or give grant money to county FCFCs to plan and organize services.
• Collect information from counties about programs that help get services to unruly children and help keep them out of juvenile court.
• Distribute information about programs that help unruly children.

How do families monitor service coordination?

Families can monitor service coordination in their county in different ways. Here are two examples:

• Be a part of the local FCFC.
• Tell the FCFC what families need, and give the FCFC ideas of how to make it easier for families to get services.

How can I monitor my family's service coordination?

Your family can monitor your individual family service coordination plan by participating in the following ways:

• Be a part of making the decisions of your individual family service coordination plan by saying what your child and family need.
• Go to meetings about your individual family service coordination plan.
• Ask for a review meeting to talk about how the individual family service coordination plan is working and if it needs to be changed.
• Meet with the person who coordinates your services to make sure your individual family service coordination plan gets started. That person will also make sure people and agencies do what the plan says and will keep track of how the plan is working.
• Make sure your child is getting services in the least restrictive environment.
• Make sure that the FCFC and the agencies giving your child and family services follow the schedule of your individual family service coordination plan.
• Give your opinions, ideas and suggestions about how to make services respect your family's culture, race and ethnic group.
• Speak up and ask for changes if you do not agree with your individual family service coordination plan. Remember that one way to do this is by using the dispute resolution process of the county FCFC. You can also speak up if you do not agree with what a specific agency is doing by complaining to that agency and asking for changes.

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