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START model approved for national clearinghouse

START model approved for national clearinghouse

Ohio START announced today that the national START program has been approved for inclusion in the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse as a promising practice.

The clearinghouse is a registry that helps to identify and share information about evidence-based practices that support children and families and prevent foster care placements. Evidence-based practices are those with empirical research that show their effectiveness.

“The Ohio START team is pleased that the national START model has been included in the prevention services clearinghouse, and we are thankful to our partners at Children and Family Futures for their hard work to ensure the program has reached this milestone. This means that Ohio can continue to move forward with our plan to implement START as one of Ohio’s five Family First prevention programs,” said Ohio START Director Fawn Gadel.

The Family First Act is a federal law designed to support struggling families with evidence-based interventions so that children at risk of abuse or neglect can remain safely at home. Ohio must implement it by October 2021.

The national START program is housed at and led by Children and Family Futures. START is an intervention model that helps families struggling with both substance abuse and child maltreatment by creating teams of caseworkers, family peer mentors and behavioral health providers to support them. It provides comprehensive, family-centered services that help families heal through recovery.

Ohio START is an affiliate of the national START program. It is housed at and led by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. The program began in 2017 as a pilot project created by then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. It operated in 17 counties in the first year, adding 15 additional counties in 2018 and another 14 counties in 2019. It is currently accepting applications for a fourth cohort of 14 counties to be added in 2021.

“There is lots of exciting work to be done in the new year,” said Gadel.