There is no greater feeling, no greater satisfaction, than knowing you are making a difference
In 1975, the Ohio Family Care Association was established, in response to several issues:
In June 1974, a group of foster parents met for a picnic in Columbus and initiated a plan to establish a statewide association. The goals were to education and empower foster parents to advocate for change. An active group of volunteers worked hard to “get out the word” and make their voice heard.
In the 1970’s, volunteer members focused on the following issues, and achieved success by collaborating with other groups.
The 1980’s |
In the 1980’s, the association focused on:
In June 1989, the organization changed its name to the Ohio Family Care Association in order to reflect the inclusiveness of adoption, and open the door for other resource family homes. From its inception until 1996, OFCA operated as a volunteer organization.
In 1996, part-time staff was hired to focus on developing a family leadership program and organization capacity building. It currently operates with one full-time staff member, a full representative Board, and volunteer committee members.
1990’s to Present |
In the 1990’s, OFCA expanded to include kinship and respite families. In 2010, OFCA added a birth/primary family representative to the Board to help ensure that the Board looked at issues from all perspectives. OFCA incorporated primary families into their mission in 2014.
Between 1998 and the present OFCA has:
Who OFCA Serves
OFCA’s Primary service group is Ohio resource families (foster, kinship, respite), primary families (adoptive, birth), child-caring agency personnel within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.