The goal of the Office of Families and Children Help Desk is to provide information, referral and assistance on policy questions regarding child welfare to constituents, legislators, stakeholders and the general public. Help Desk staff provide interpretations of policy to public and private agencies to assist them with immediate casework, administrative issues, the development of local policies and to plan service delivery.

The hours of operation are 8:00 a.m .to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Help Desk staff provide support by:

• immediately answering questions and resolving problems;
• researching a resolution to the problem and communicating the resolution to the caller;
• referring complaints to the Department's Field Offices for further investigation; or
• referring the caller back to the agency in order to go through the agency's grievance procedure.
    

For information on opening an agency for Children's Residential Center, Group Home, Foster Care or Adoption or to submit an inquiry, please click here.

All inquiries and resolutions are monitored for quality assurance.

• EMAIL: Help-Desk-OCF@jfs.ohio.gov
   
  
• Local or County Technical Assistance - Agencies (state licensed public and private agencies)
  
  For technical assistance regarding Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Adoption, CPOE, Kinship Care, Title IV-E, and Title XX please call:
  1-866-886-3537 OPTION 4
   
  

• Client / Customer Help Line

 
For questions or concerns regarding foster care, child protection, kinship care, adoption, adult protective services, and
 
For questions or concerns about the licensing of foster homes that have been recommended by public and private agencies, private child placement agencies and private non-custodial agencies that operate foster care/adoption programs or residential facilities, or public agencies that operate residential facilities, please call:
1-866-635-3748 OPTION 2

Please contact the Office of Family Assistance Help Desk for questions or concerns regarding child care; the licensing of child care programs in and out of the home, or summer camps.  Please call:
1-877-302-2347