Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Encyclopedia
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, (ODJFS), a department that employs 4,000 full time
employees, has an annual budget
of more than $17 billion. ODJFS supervises the provision of Medicaid
, food stamps, child welfare
and child support
in Ohio
. Also, ODJFS provides services such as unemployment
compensation to Ohio's citizens. The OSJFS is Ohio's largest state agency.
to become the ODJFS. ODJFS oversees programs helping unborn babies and their mothers with health care
issues while also helping unemployed workers and senior citizen
s find food and shelter.
. As a result, Ohio officials questioned $200 million in tax dollars spent by the Hamiltion County
Department of Job and Family Services.
-based placement agency, due to the death of a 3 year old boy.
Barbara Riley
, then the director of ODJFS, questioned "how the private placement agency Lifeway for Youth, Butler County
Children Services, and her own department failed the boy."
trust fund. State officials had stated that the fund was in danger of running out before the end of the year. On December 5, 2008, ODJFS announced that extended unemployment benefit
payments will start the week of December 22, 2008. Scarlett Bouder, spokesperson for the ODJFS, stated that "an estimated 70,000 Ohioans are now eligible for the assistance and thousands more will qualify in the coming weeks as they exhaust their regular benefits."
During last few weeks of the 2008 US Presidential election campaign, ODJFS director Helen Jones-Kelley, and members of her staff, became embroiled in a controversy over searches of Joe Wurzelbacher's
government records. The matter led to substantial news media
attention during the presidential campaign, a new law being signed in Ohio
, and a federal civil rights
lawsuit
.
Full time
Full-time employment is employment in which the employee works the full number of hours defined as such by his/her employer. Full-time employment often comes with benefits that are not typically offered to part-time, temporary, or flexible workers, such as annual leave, sickleave, and health...
employees, has an annual budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
of more than $17 billion. ODJFS supervises the provision of Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
, food stamps, child welfare
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
and child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Also, ODJFS provides services such as unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
compensation to Ohio's citizens. The OSJFS is Ohio's largest state agency.
History
On July 1, 2000, the Ohio Department of Human Services and the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services combinedto become the ODJFS. ODJFS oversees programs helping unborn babies and their mothers with health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
issues while also helping unemployed workers and senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
s find food and shelter.
2004 ODJFS and Ohio Auditor's Office joint audit
In December 2004, the ODJFS and the Ohio Auditor's Office launched a joint auditAudit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
. As a result, Ohio officials questioned $200 million in tax dollars spent by the Hamiltion County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
Department of Job and Family Services.
Lifeway For Youth
In 2006, ODJFS took away the license for Lifeway For Youth, a nonprofit ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
-based placement agency, due to the death of a 3 year old boy.
Barbara Riley
Barbara Riley
Barbara Riley is the director of the Ohio Department of Aging. She is also a past director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.-Background:...
, then the director of ODJFS, questioned "how the private placement agency Lifeway for Youth, Butler County
Butler County, Ohio
Butler County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 368,130. Its county seat is Hamilton. It is named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 fighting Indians in northern Ohio. Butler's army marched out of Fort Hamilton, where the city of...
Children Services, and her own department failed the boy."
2008 Ohio unemployment insurance trust fund
For the year 2008, ODJFS sought federal help concerning Ohio’s unemployment insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
trust fund. State officials had stated that the fund was in danger of running out before the end of the year. On December 5, 2008, ODJFS announced that extended unemployment benefit
Unemployment benefit
Unemployment benefits are payments made by the state or other authorized bodies to unemployed people. Benefits may be based on a compulsory para-governmental insurance system...
payments will start the week of December 22, 2008. Scarlett Bouder, spokesperson for the ODJFS, stated that "an estimated 70,000 Ohioans are now eligible for the assistance and thousands more will qualify in the coming weeks as they exhaust their regular benefits."
2008 ODJFS database search
During last few weeks of the 2008 US Presidential election campaign, ODJFS director Helen Jones-Kelley, and members of her staff, became embroiled in a controversy over searches of Joe Wurzelbacher's
Joe the Plumber
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher , is a conservative activist, author, and commentator. A resident of Holland, Ohio, United States, he gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small...
government records. The matter led to substantial news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
attention during the presidential campaign, a new law being signed in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and a federal civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
.