Who We Are  | Contact Information | Vision and Mission | History | Governance

Financial Information | Leadership | Employees | Programs | Our customers

 

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Who We Are 

The Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services (HCJFS) administers state, federal and local programs designed to help those in need. Several major government programs come under our roof including:

  • Child Support/Workforce Development
  • Children's Services (child protection)
  • Client Services (Adult Protective Services, Child Care, other)
  • Family and Adult Assistance (Cash Assistance, food stamps, Medicaid)

Contact Information

HCJFS has two primary locations: (click the addresses for maps):

Other business sites:

Main telephone line: 946-1000

Web sites:

Vision and Mission

HCJFS sees a time when citizens and families in Hamilton County achieve well being in response to effective services promoting self sufficiency, independence, health and safety.

We, the HCJFS staff, provide services for our community today to enhance the quality of living for a better tomorrow.

History

HCJFS has been part of Hamilton County government for more than 60 years.

County Commissioners passed a resolution on October 4, 1947 establishing the Department of Welfare. The new agency opened a month later at 411 Lincoln Park Drive (now Ezzard Charles Drive) in the West End with Frederick A. Breyer as its first director.

In 1987, the agency changed its name to the Hamilton County Department of Human Services. In July 2001, HCDHS took its current name -- Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services -- to reflect the state's merger of the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services with the Ohio Department of Human Services into one agency, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Today, HCJFS is Ohio's largest combined public services agency, comprised of four major program areas:

  • Children's Services

  • Child Support Services/Workforce Development

  • Client Services (Adult Protective Services, Child Care, Supplemental Security Income [SSI], Health Services and the Mt. Airy  Center for homeless men)

  • Family and Adult Assistance (food stamps, Medicaid, cash assistance)

Governance

HCJFS administers a variety of federal programs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Food Stamps) and other agencies. At the state level, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services oversees these programs for all 88 counties. Locally, we are the largest department of Hamilton County government and report to the Board of Hamilton County Commissioners.

Financial Information

HCJFS programs receive federal, state and local funding. This includes operating funds as well as payments to consumers in welfare, Medicaid and other benefits.

The only local funds to HCJFS come from the Children’s Services tax levy, which provides about $41 million annually to help cover costs of child protection services.

Leadership

Moira Weir became the agency's director on July 1, 2007. For Weir's bio, and that of the other Operations Team members, please see agency leadership.

Employees

HCJFS has more than 1,600 employees.

Programs

Children’s Services – Legally responsible for responding to reports of child abuse, neglect and dependency (241-KIDS); acting to protect child victims; and recruiting foster and adoptive parents

Child Support Services/Workforce Development – Child Support is money required by law to be paid by one parent to another parent to help cover the costs of raising their children. The HCJFS Child Support division: establishes and enforces child support orders; establishes paternity; modifies child support orders; enforces spousal support; and performs other customer services. Workforce Development helps adults and teens join the workforce and move up the economic ladder. Through Super Jobs, the division also helps job seekers and employers.

Client Services includes:

Protective services against abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly (421-LIFE)

Child Care – Partial payment of child care costs for low-income, working parents and teen parents finishing school. Help with locating certified child-care providers in Hamilton County.

Health Services - Works to extend health care benefits to individuals and families who have low incomes. Administers the federal health insurance program for children (known in Ohio as Healthy Start/Healthy Families).

Assistance with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications and appeals

Mt. Airy Center for homeless men

Family and Adult Assistance includes:

Cash Assistance – monthly check to eligible low-income families with minor children at home. Called Ohio Works First (OWF). Families may receive assistance for up to 36 months.

Food Stamps – a monthly benefit given to eligible families to help buy food. Known as the Ohio Direction Card.

Medicaid – State and federally-funded health care coverage for income-eligible parents and their children up to age 21; pregnant women; older adults; and people with disabilities.


Our customers

HCJFS serves hundreds of thousands of Hamilton County residents each year. An exact count is impossible because each agency division keeps its own numbers, and customers may receive services from several divisions. For example, a person receiving child support services may also receive food stamp benefits and will therefore be counted in both areas.

These numbers help to illustrate the size of HCJFS. In an average month during 2007:

  • One in 48 Hamilton County residents received cash assistance (down from 50 in 2006--and a decline of nearly 60 percent decline since the mid-1990s when welfare reform was implemented)

  • One in 11 residents received food stamps (1 in 10 in 2006)

  • One in 6 was covered by Medicaid (1 in 7 in 2006)

  • One in 16 children used a public voucher for child care (1 in 18 in 2006)

  • One in 4 residents was involved in a child support case (unchanged)

  • One in 12 children had contact with Children’s Services (unchanged)