Ohio starts new child welfare network

YOUNGSTOWN — Despite startup problems, a new statewide Ohio child welfare computer network offers significant potential for improved tracking of cases from county to county, according to local child welfare officials.

“Once the kinks are ironed out, I anticipate this to be a very effective system,” said Marcia Tiger, Trumbull County ChildrenServices Board director.

Trumbull and five other counties are scheduled to join the new system, known as the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System on Monday. This will raise the number of participating counties from 59 to 65.

Columbiana and Mahoning counties, which joined the system on Jan. 29 and April 2, respectively, were among the first counties in the state to participate.

For more, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com