Policy & Practice | Spring 2024

families have lived there for genera tions. Jeff grew up in Portsmouth and, now living in Columbus, still goes home and walks the streets where many know his name. Tammy lives with her family in the home where she grew up and remains a beloved leader in her community. This ingredient means they do not think about child welfare as a set of programs designed for an un-named mass of people. They think of it as something for neighbors they know and love in a community they call “home.” This turned out to be an important accelerant for their success. It poses some interesting observations about the intersection of the selection of leadership in child welfare and the pace at which they can render change that sticks. This year, Tammy was named “Director of the Year” by the Ohio Job and Family Services Directors Association, a trade association comprised of her peers across the 88 counties in Ohio. In her acceptance speech, she said, “We’re not done yet. But we are going to move this mountain one rock at a time.”

Putting the agency on a strong foundation began to have positive downstream effects. Adversaries reverted to partnership. The local press got opportunities to share good news

needs of the county, ensuring that the state provided training on the schedule Scioto needed it. Tammy was able to hire more case managers and give them, quickly, the

about the agency’s accomplishments. The county council and state leadership returned to confidence in the agency. The environment became calm and methodical. And by 2023, they had achieved a mea surable reduction in the data point that started the fire storm: fewer deaths among babies known to the agency. This is an extraordi

training they needed to succeed. Performance improved on visits and timely investigations. Greater efficiencies meant the county could close cases without delay and keep more children safe at home with their own families. Tammy secured adequate funding from the county in an unprecedented vote of support from the county council, ren dering their budget a

Jeff Van Deusen, Chief of Staff, Ohio Department of Children and Youth

nary accomplishment leveraged by a governor who has dedicated his career to children, and led by two extraordi nary people with boots on the ground. Tammy and Jeff led child welfare work in a very special context. They are both in and of Scioto. Their

better match for their actual costs. She also turned her attention to external communications, telling the whole story of the agency’s work— including the large number of children who were being helped—and building credibility across the community.

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