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Director's Letter: Timeliness of Public Assistance Benefits Improves
I am happy to say we recently processed 80 percent of the food assistance applications we received in a timely manner. This is much improved over our November number of 45 percent, which was the subject of a Cincinnati Enquirer article. No one understands the importance of delivering aid to this community more than we do. We know those seeking help are often at the end of their rope when they come to us, exhausting all other resources. Especially in this economy, it is extremely important that we are timely in delivering help. More... |
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News Child Support Case Information and Payment History Available Online Child Support customers will now be able to access up-to-date case and payment information online. Last week, The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services launched a new online Child Support portal to allow consumers better access to their case. Consumers can access the portal at https://childsupport.ohio.gov or by visiting www.hcjfs.org. Once registered, consumers can view case specific address, employment, health insurance and financial history information, along with answers to frequently asked questions. HEMI Program Seeks Mentors for Foster Children
“Considering that nationally less than 60 percent of foster children complete high school and only 3 percent earn college degrees, the success of HEMI to date is nothing short of amazing,” said Hamilton County Job and Family Services Director Moira Weir. “The success can be attributed directly to the most important part of HEMI: the 37 mentors who make time each week to guide, encourage and befriend the foster children in the program.” As HEMI enters its third year, the program is looking for additional volunteers willing to devote a couple hours each week to mentor a foster child. HCJFS Uses Document Imaging to Improve Service Hamilton County Job and Family Services took a major step last month toward what could become a paperless and more efficient agency with a new document imaging system. After a year of planning, pilots and small implementations – document imaging will now allow both caseworkers and call center employees easy access to paperwork on an individual case, including not only the application or reapplication, but all of the loose mail that is received by the agency at a later date. That means when a consumer calls 946-1000, the consumer will be able to find out if HCJFS received a document without talking to his or her individual caseworker. Did you know? Public assistance consumers can fax in documents from the public library for free Did you know? Public assistance consumers can fax documents to Hamilton County Job and Family Services for free from any branch of The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Beginning in 2008, HCJFS and The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County have maintained a partnership to assist public assistance consumers in delivering documents to HCJFS. Not only does the partnership save consumers from making a trip to the department’s downtown offices at 222 E. Central Parkway, but consumers immediately receive a fax receipt for their documents. |
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Since the Higher Education Mentoring Initiative began in 2009, 100 percent of the foster children paired with a mentor have graduated high school. Most are successfully attending college.