Franklin County Children Services is in the process of transferring 375 open child welfare cases in-house as it sunsets one of its two largest contractors for managing these cases by the end of the year.
FCCS has decided not to renew its contract with The Buckeye Ranch for its program Permanent Family Solutions Network when the contract expires at the end of 2025. The annual contract was based on number of cases PFSN worked and was worth about $22 million in 2024. The contract aided the county with foster care and other child welfare cases.
Since 1999, FCCS has used contractors as Managed Care partners to handle some of its ongoing cases, making it unique nationally, according to FCCS spokesperson Scott Varner. FCCS still does the initial investigation for all cases. FCCS will maintain its contracts with its two other Managed Care partners, National Youth Advocate Program and the Village Network.
The Buckeye Ranch filed a notice with the state, Franklin County and Whitehall informing government officials that the nonprofit social services provider will have to layoff 66 PFSN employees. The notice was dated Sept. 30 and received by the state on Oct. 7.
Varner said FCCS’ Managed Care model works best when the majority of ongoing cases remain with FCCS staff. But due to minimum caseloads requirements in contracts and a decline in the county’s overall caseload, FCCS has not been managing the majority of cases recently. By contract, NYAP receives 40 cases per month, PFSN received 34 cases per month and Village Network receives up to 20 cases per month.
Franklin County currently has about 1,675 open child welfare cases. Cases have dropped in recent years. In 2020, FCCS had 4,374 ongoing cases and in 2024, that dropped to 3,316 cases, according to Varner.
FCCS, like so many social service agencies, continues to confront the lingering repercussions of the pandemic, according to Varner. He said placement costs alone skyrocketed by 24% between 2020 and 2024.
“The pandemic also created an unintended imbalance with our three contracted Managed Care partners,” Varner said.
FCCS is transferring several cases each week from PFSN as part of a gradual transition, according Varner. He and Buckeye Ranch President and CEO Vickie Thompson-Sandy said FCCS and The Buckeye Ranch are committed to making the continuity of care as smooth as possible for families. FCCS is also taking this opportunity to close some cases when safe and appropriate, Varner said.
To be able to take on hundreds more cases, FCCS is working to hire 50 employees, include some of the staff from PFSN.
Thompson-Sandy said she was informed of FCCS’ decision in late August and the “news was both surprising and deeply disappointing.” Both Thompson-Sandy and Varner told The Dispatch this decision was based on strategic caseload distribution and not on PFSN’s performance.
“Chip (Spinning, executive director of FCCS) emphasized that this decision is not a reflection of the quality of services provided by The Buckeye Ranch or our network. FCCS continues to hold our work in high regard,” Thompson-Sandy said.
Spinning was not available Oct. 13 for an interview.
Thompson-Sandy noted that this change will not affect any of The Buckeye Ranch’s other behavioral health and child welfare programs.
“FCCS will also continue to partner with The Buckeye Ranch for a range of other services to help keep kids safer and make families stronger for longer,” Varner said. “We have appreciated our long history with the Buckeye Ranch and they continue to be a great support to families in our community.”
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County ends child welfare contract with Buckeye Ranch, prompting layoffs
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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