The Coshocton County Department of Job and Family Services is seeking public input during a 30-day comment period for the agency Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) Plan. One of the key strategies in Ohio Works First is the prevention of dependency. PRC is a critical tool created for counties to encourage employment, self-sufficiency, and prevent people from sliding in and out of the work force and onto public assistance. PRC service is not ongoing assistance. 
PRC services are categorized into hard and soft services. Hard services are defined as those of which the client makes application and are specific to his/her family needs and are services that have no direct monetary value to an individual family and that do not involve implicit or explicit income support, or short-term assistance which is limited to the amount actually required to meet the presenting need.
Soft services are those of which the agency provides to a targeted population. The agency identifies community needs through the assistance of various entities which include but are not limited to the Family Services Planning Committee, the Family and Children First Council, and the Coshocton County Commissioners. These services must meet one or more of the four purposes of TANF:

Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives.*

End dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage.*

Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies.

Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

* Note: individuals served in these two areas must meet income eligibility criteria.
PRC assistance is authorized with the expectation that the PRC recipient will then be able to function without additional PRC help. Services are provided (contingent on funding availability) to an assistance group who has exhausted their own resources to prevent them from reliance on and divert them from ongoing cash assistance and guide them to self-sufficiency by helping them through the presenting crisis. Services are also provided to a PRC assistance group to help members retain employment and, thereby, to achieve or continue self-sufficiency. In addition, services are provided to a PRC assistance group to meet a presenting or contingent need which, if not satisfied, threatens the safety, health, or well-being to one or more of the PRC assistance group members.

A copy of the plan may be obtained by visiting the agency at 725 Pine Street or through the agency website www.coshoctonjfs.org. The public comment period will end on 9/23/07. Comments will be accepted in writing by contacting the agency directly or Assistant Director, Mindy Fehrman at fehrmm@odjfs.state.oh Click Here for the Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) Plan.

Local Child Support Worker
Receives State Award!

Child Support Calculator

Lois Stubbs, Child Support Case Manager and Modification Specialist has been named Outstanding Child Support Employee of the Year by the Ohio Child Support Enforcement Director’s Association.
An employee with the agency since August 1990, Stubbs displays genuineness in dealing with others and always conveys a willingness to help her co-workers and clients. She has a unique personality that allows others to feel at ease. Stubbs has been instrumental in creating nearly all agency tracking and monitoring databases within the Child Support division and has volunteered her expertise by teaching others in a classroom setting. She created and formulated the Child Support Calculator, which is now available state-wide through the Ohio Child Support Director’s Association website and through many of the county websites. This calculator is used to benefit employers in determining appropriate deductions for employees with multiple support obligations and/or employees who do not earn enough to pay their entire obligation. 

Lois Stubbs received this award at the annual Ohio Child Support Director’s Association conference held in September in Columbus.