Ohio Department of Children and Youth

What Ohio Department of Children and Youth does

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is a state government agency of the State of Ohio, established in 2023 to consolidate and oversee programs serving Ohio children from birth through age 21 and their families. DCY administers Children Services, Early Care and Education, Early Childhood Development, Family Support and Stabilization, Maternal and Infant Wellness, and Young Adult Supports through a delegated delivery model: services are not provided directly by DCY but are administered through 88 county-level partner agencies, including Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs), County Departments of Job and Family Services, and Resource and Referral Agencies. Key programs include Help Me Grow Home Visiting (delivered in every Ohio county using evidence-based models including Family Connects Ohio, Healthy Families America, Nurse Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers), Child Protective Services with screening, investigation, and oversight, Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance, Family First Prevention Services Act implementation, the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, the Cribs for Kids safe sleep partnership, the Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program under Claire's Law, ICWA compliance, and Plans of Safe Care under CARA for substance-affected infants.

DCY's technology stack is built on IBM WebSphere Portal running on the InnovateOhio Platform, a statewide digital infrastructure managed by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Child welfare case management operates through Ohio SACWIS (Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System) and Ohio CCWIS (Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System), with OHID authentication providing secure access. The public-facing portal organizes content by audience (families, foster youth, partners and providers) and includes self-service resources such as DCY Forms Central, the Here for Ohio Kids resource request portal, and the Public Records Request system. A toll-free hotline (844-234-KIDS) connects families to the Family and Customer Support Center.

DCY is funded through federal and state appropriations rather than commercial revenue, with services provided at no cost to eligible families. The agency is led by Director Kara Wente, with Kimberly Dent serving as Executive Director of the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood. As a state government department, DCY has no parent company, no commercial shareholders, and no M&A or exit pathway; expansion occurs through legislative mandate, federal program participation, and partnership buildout rather than capital deployment. The agency is committed to achieving WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance on its digital properties by April 26, 2027.

Name

Ohio Department of Children and Youth

Legal name

Ohio Department of Children and Youth

Website

https://childrenandyouth.ohio.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth is a state government agency, established in 2023, that administers child welfare, early care and education, foster and adoption services, and family support programs for Ohio children and families through a network of 88 county-level partner agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Child Welfare Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (62441), Administration of Education Programs (923110), Child Care Services (624410)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Departments (HLAJAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child-to-Staff Ratio & Staffing Compliance Monitoring (EDACAKAG), Local Education Authorities & Municipal Education Offices (EDADABAD), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Early childhood education
• Family support programs
• Foster care services
• Maternal infant wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is a state government agency that oversees and coordinates programs affecting Ohio children and families, including Children Services, Early Care and Education, Early Childhood Development, Family Support and Stabilization, Maternal and Infant Wellness, and Young Adult Supports. The department administers these programs statewide through 88 county-level partner agencies (County Departments of Job and Family Services and Public Children Services Agencies), which provide direct services to eligible families at no cost.

Product overview

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth operates a multi-service portal providing government programs for children, families, and communities across Ohio. The primary digital offering is the DCY website portal (powered by IBM WebSphere Portal and the Innovate Ohio Platform) which serves as the gateway to various program services. Key programs include: Help Me Grow Home Visiting (offering evidence-based models including Family Connects Ohio, Healthy Families America, Nurse Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers); Child Protective Services with screening, investigation, and oversight via county PCSAs; the Cribs for Kids partnership for infant safe sleep; the Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program under Claire's Law; the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood funding community fatherhood programs; Title IV-E supporting foster care, adoption assistance, and KGAP; Family First Prevention Services Act implementation; Plans of Safe Care for substance-affected infants; and the Child Protective Services Fellowship for workforce development. Additional resources include Forms Central (centralized form repository), Public Records Request system, and Young Adult Supports. The portal organizes services by audience (families, foster youth, partners/providers) and service category, functioning primarily as an information and access portal rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Help Me Grow Home Visiting

Quantifiable outcome

• Programs operate in all 88 Ohio counties through local partner agency network
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• County Departments of Job and Family ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDCY works with county-level Departments of Job and Family Services to implement and deliver children and youth programs. These local agencies provide direct services to families in their communities.
• Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCounty-level agencies that investigate child abuse and neglect, provide foster care services, and support families. DCY oversees these agencies and provides guidance and policy direction.
• Resource and Referral AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgencies that connect families with early care and education resources, child care information, and community services across Ohio.
• Cribs for KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnering with DCY to provide Cribettes and safe sleep education to eligible Ohio families. DCY's Bureau of Maternal and Early Childhood Services and Supports partners with local organizations throughout Ohio to distribute safe sleep kits.
• Ohio Public Universities (for Child Protective Services Fellowship)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversities partner with DCY to recruit students in social work-related fields for the Ohio Child Protective Services Fellowship program, enabling students to gain hands-on experience at PCSAs during their senior year.
• Ohio Department of Developmental DisabilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner collaborating on Plans of Safe Care for infants affected by substance use, part of the CARA implementation network.
• Ohio Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for maternal and infant health initiatives, including safe sleep education, infant mortality prevention, and CARA Plan of Safe Care coordination.
• Ohio Department of Job and Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for child welfare programs, foster care services, and family support initiatives. Collaborates on Title IV-E funding and child welfare policy.
• Ohio Department of Behavioral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for substance use treatment services, mental health support, and Plans of Safe Care implementation for families affected by addiction.
• Ohio Supreme Court - Children and Families SectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudicial branch partner supporting family court proceedings, child welfare cases, and family stabilization efforts.
• County PCSAs (35+ participating counties)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCounty Public Children Services Agencies participating in the Ohio Child Protective Services Fellowship Program, providing placement opportunities for student fellows across Ohio.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS): New York's state agency administering child welfare, foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, and early childhood programs. Strong functional comparability to DCY across child protective services, kinship care, and youth transition programming.
• Massachusetts Department of Children & Families (DCF): Massachusetts's dedicated child welfare agency handling CPS investigations, foster care, adoption, and family stabilization. Highly comparable operational model to Ohio DCY's Children Services division.
• California Department of Social Services (CDSS): California's state-level children and family services administrator — operates child welfare, foster care, adoption assistance, and early childhood programs analogous to DCY's portfolio. Closest functional peer due to breadth of programs and centralized oversight of county-level delivery.
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS): North Carolina's combined health and human services agency responsible for child welfare, family support, and early childhood programs. Comparable integrated structure and rural county-service challenges to DCY.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS): Michigan's combined health-and-human-services state agency delivering child welfare, foster care, adoption, and family support. Operates with similar county-level service delivery and federal funding structure as DCY.
• Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS): Pennsylvania's umbrella human services agency administering child welfare, early childhood education (Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS), and family support programs. Strong parallel to DCY's combined children/welfare/early-education remit.
• Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF): Florida's state-level agency overseeing child welfare, foster care, adoption, family stabilization, and prevention services. Operates with a comparable county/region-based delivery model and federal funding mix.
• Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS): Texas's dedicated state agency for child protective services, foster care, adoption, and prevention — directly comparable mission to DCY's Children Services division, with overlapping federal funding reliance on Title IV-E and FFPSA.
• Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS): Virginia's state social services agency administering child welfare, foster care, adoption, and family support programs through 120 local departments. Closely mirrors DCY's county-partnered delivery architecture.
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS): Illinois's dedicated child welfare state agency responsible for child protection, foster care, and adoption. Comparable scope to DCY, with similar reliance on Title IV-E funding and frontline workforce challenges.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-department-of-children-and-youth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Department of Children and Youth