Notary services to end April 1
March 16, 2009 -- Hamilton County Job and Family Services will no longer perform notary services for the public beginning April 1.

The agency has traditionally offered notary services as a public service. But, with resources decreasing and demand increasing, the agency wants to utilize employees in the best way possible: focusing on mandated services that help Hamilton County residents to a better place in life.

“We are experiencing all-time highs in some of our program areas and we need to focus our resources in ways that the public receives the best service possible,” said Moira Weir, agency director. “While notary services were nice to have, in this time of great need, it is more important that we deliver on those mandated services that are most important to this community.”

Foster care, adoption info at community events
March 12, 2009 -- Foster care and adoption experts from the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family will be available at a number of community events in upcoming weeks to answer questions and share information.

April 3 - Building Family Resiliency Symposium at Xavier University's Cintas Center, noon-5:30 p.m.
April 4 - Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence Resource Fair, McKie Recreation Center, 1655 Chase Ave., noon-3 p.m.
April 18 - Family Resource Fair, Clippard YMCA, 8920 Cheviot Road, Colerain Township, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
April 20 - Tri-Health Community Resources Fair, Good Samaritan Hospital, Convention Center, 375 Dixmyth Ave., 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
April 30 - Tri-Health Community Resources Fair, Bethesda Oak Campus, 619 Oak St., 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
May 2 - Great Cincinnati Adoption Fair 2009, Community of the Good Shepherd Church, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
May 5 - Tri-Health Community Resource Fair, Bethesda North Hospital, 10500 Montgomery Road, 7 a.m.-4 p.m

Coming soon: Private live chats with child support technicians
March 10, 2009 -- Hamilton County Child Support clients soon will be able to do private 1-on-1 live chats about their cases with technicians on the Child Support section of www.hcjfs.org, the Web site of the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services. Details will be announced  shortly.

The department will use the same technology that has allowed it to do weekly live chats with program experts since last May.

Hamilton County JFS has been building an interactive Web site that provides convenient access to services and timely information. The agency is striving to reduce the number of phone calls and visits to the agency by allowing clients to apply for services and communicate about their cases online.

Agency works to clear a path for stimulus funds
March 4, 2009 -- On Feb. 17, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced that Ohio would receive $8.2 billion in federal funds as part of its share of the stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama. This Ohio stimulus package includes $146 million for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). These funds provide services locally for youth, adults, laid off workers, and summer youth education, and employment activities.

The Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services is working now to clear a path to make funds available for distribution in the summer of 2009 and to ensure that those funds are spent responsibly.

HCJFS has reason to believe that about $2.4 million in new dollars will be made available to this community for services to youth through the Economic Stimulus Plan. It expects to receive those dollars in the next several months.

The agency will not know all of the terms and conditions tied to those dollars until April 8. Some or all of these dollars may be restricted to use for summer youth activities in 2009.

HCJFS will proceed with issuance of a Summer Youth Request for Proposals on or near March 13.

The agency is using the information it has today to anticipate the required content of any resulting contract. It expects to provide additional or clarifying information in the midst of the resulting RFP timeline near April 8. Some of the areas that remain unknowns at this time are federal or state requirements related to eligibility, reporting, efficiency, outcomes, or program design. The agency believes that it can accommodate any necessary changes with addendums to the initial RFP.

HCJFS is working to share this information as quickly as possible. The agency also is being explicit regarding the limited information we have available at this time. Any vendor proposal resulting from this RFP may need to be quickly and substantially amended to accommodate currently unknown policy requirement. The entirety of this RFP may be rejected as unnecessary or unworkable if funding is made available with dramatic constraints, or with no requirement that dollars be spent in the summer of 2009.