Feb. 19, 2020
Columbus, OH – Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services (FCDJFS) and Reynoldsburg City Schools (RCS) have teamed up expand access to supportive services through a new on-site case management pilot partnership. Beginning today, residents in Reynoldsburg and surrounding communities will be able to apply for public assistance benefits like food assistance and Medicaid at the RCS Welcome Center.
Under this new partnership, which the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize Feb. 4, FCDJFS will provide a case manager on-site for up to 20 hours a week to determine eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF or Ohio Works First cash assistance); Medicaid; and Prevention, Retention and Contingency emergency assistance (PRC).
The case manager will be stationed at RCS Welcome Center, located at 1555 Graham Road, on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will assist those on a first-come, first-serve basis.
This partnership with RCS supports the Commissioners’
Rise Together Blueprint, which calls for increasing accessibility of integrated family support services, including parent education, child care, and food assistance by adding locations that are walkable or easily accessed by public transit.
“Reynoldsburg is a changing community with changing needs. I think it’s taken for granted a lot, but not everyone can just jump in car to visit one of our Opportunity Centers,” FCDJFS Director Joy Bivens stated. “By placing our services right where they live, we’re trying to give people back the gift of time – time they can use to work, to go to school, to support their families.”
The
Blueprint also calls for expanding the use of schools as family and neighborhood resource centers, providing access to healthy food and other integrated support services for students and families.
“As part of our Five-Year Strategic plan, it is an initiative to expand and enrich the active partnerships between the District, our residents and community,” RCS Superintendent Melvin Brown said. “As our community continues to evolve and change over time, the needs of our families also change and by providing these types of services to them in a more convenient and reachable way will be huge for our city.”
Reynoldsburg has approximately 6,100 residents enrolled in SNAP, 1,100 children receiving Publicly Funded Child Care and 12,000 on Medicaid, which is more than one-in-five residents.
FCDJFS is also looking to expand its footprint through additional on-site case management partnerships in school districts with a high need for supportive services.
The Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services provides timely public assistance benefits and builds community partnership through inclusion, responsiveness and innovation. Learn more at https://jfs.franklincountyohio.gov and follow FCDJFS on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.