PCSAO is pleased to present its 2024 annual report.
The report highlights a number of accomplishments as the association marks its 45th anniversary this year.
In 2024, PCSAO expanded Ohio START to 56 counties and launched Practice in Action Together in eight counties. Grant funding extended the reach of the Ohio Fellowship Program across three regions of the state, and PCSAO’s advocacy resulted in funding for a treatment foster home pilot project that grew to 11 clusters in 42 counties. More than a dozen legislative ridealongs encouraged support for sound public policy, including new flexibility in caseworker hiring and retention. A weekly podcast, 3,000 Good Things, debuted its first season of 17 episodes, and PCSAO redesigned and upgraded its website.
“In 2024, I marked 10 years leading this association,” Executive Director Angela Sausser said. “I am proud that over the course of that decade we have engaged every single county children services agency in the state as a PCSAO member, grown our staff and resource base to provide quality technical assistance, and achieved significant new investments to support children, families, and our workforce.”
PCSAO President and Perry County Job & Family Services Director Amy Frame added, “Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Mike DeWine and the
support of the Ohio General Assembly, we have made strides in safely reducing the number of children who come into protective custody. Yet workforce shortages persist, and we lack appropriate treatment and placement options for the growing number of children with complex needs coming into our system.
“I continue to find hope and inspiration in the resiliency of our families, the dedication of our workers, and the innovation of my peers across the state who come together to make this association so successful.”