The Office for Children and Families is responsible for state level administration and oversight of programs that prevent child abuse and neglect; provide services to abused/neglected children and their families (birth, foster and adoptive); license foster homes and residential facilities; license child care homes and facilities; and investigate allegations of adult abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Ohio operates in a state supervised, county administered system; therefore, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, through the Office for Children and Families, oversees program implementation by developing policies and procedures to guide county agencies in program and service delivery. The Office for Children and Families provides technical assistance to county agencies and we monitor program implementation for compliance with federal and state laws, rules and policies

Child welfare services (e.g. child protection, foster and kinship care, adoption, independent living) are provided by 88 public children services agencies which provide direct services to children and families. The public children services agencies were created by Ohio law and the structure of each is determined at the local level. Fifty-five (55) public children services agencies are located within the administrative body of the county departments of job and family services and 33 are separate children services boards.

Child care and adult protective services are provided by the county departments of job and family services, which were also created in Ohio law.

The Office for Children and Families is responsible for the following: