Where Help Begins
Seneca County Family & Children First Council’s goal is to achieve, through community collaboration, an effective and comprehensive system which empowers families and children to proactively affect their lives, resulting in enhanced family stability.
The Family & Children First Council consists of representatives from human services, mental health, schools, local government, the court system, youth services, developmental delays and disabilities, parent representatives and other community agencies. The Council provides integration and planning to improve community based, family centered services. The Council serves to bring service providers together, cut through the red tape, increase local flexibility, and focus programs on families and children.
Programs
Help Me Grow is a system of supports for pregnant women, caregivers with new babies, and families with young children with developmental delays and disabilities. Services and supports are provided through Home Visiting and Early Intervention.
The Seneca Mentoring Youth Links program seeks to mentor Seneca County youth to make better choices for a brighter future. SMYL is dedicated to pairing local youth with mentors in order to provide a positive, stable influence in the youth’s life. A mentor is there to act as a friend and a guide in a fun and positive way and is asked to spend a minimum of four hours a month with the mentee.
Structured after-school program offering homework help, mentoring and pro-social skill building. Impact is housed at A Little Faith Ministries. Students may attend once and then are asked to register for future participation.
Seneca County Family and Children First Council is administering Teen Pregnancy Prevention activities for Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services. One initiative is Master of Me, a teen empowerment program for middle school girls that builds self control and strong values in teenagers through conversations, speakers and activities.
Offering women a support system in an encouraging environment; recognizing and building upon existing skills and strengths; and exploring resources and tools to inspire future success. Find more by following on Women Empowering Women Seneca County on Facebook
A social club for young adults, 18-25, who struggle with social connections, sometimes due to high-functioning autism; provides a safe and encouraging environment for young adults to develop meaningful friendships. Learn more about the Friendship Club.
The Student and Family Success program provides assistance to families in need to stabilize families and reduce out-of-home placements; provides appropriate services and referrals to community services; and coordinates services with community providers.
Services
Agency representatives oversee the coordination of services for multi-agency-involved youth and their families.
Coordination helps families who have multiple needs. The team of providers and family supports focus on the family’s strengths to help fill their needs.
Every program is based on the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets. The assets help build resiliency and problem solving skills in youth.
The Communities of Support grant is an opportunity to continue supporting existing and new local community planning and coordinated service delivery efforts. The process includes addressing Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA) Plans of Safe Care and Qualified Residential Treatment Program Level of Care Assessments, including CANS.
Connects first-responders with schools to make notifications when a child has experienced a traumatic event. Learn more.
The CARES – Coordination Aimed at Reducing the Effects of Substances prenatally – coordinator collaborates with medical and service providers to address health and well-being needs of families and develops Plans of Safe Care for substance-exposed and substance-affected infants as required by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Coordinators conduct Qualified Residential Treatment Program Level of Care Assessments for youth in need.
Charles Ardner
Chief Executive Officer, Tiffin YMCA
Tracie Cress*
Director, CASA
Nicci Drew*
Project Director, Help Me Grow
Bill Frankart*
Commissioner, Seneca County Commissioners
Mary Habig, Vice Chairperson
Director, SCAT
Mircea Handru, Chairperson*
Executive Director, Mental Health & Recovery Services
Amanda Hass
Site Director, Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services
Ruthann House*
President/CEO, GLCAP
Lewis Hurst*
Superintendent, Seneca County Department of DD
Lee Wilkinson
Mayor, City of Tiffin
Don Mennel
Mayor, City of Fostoria
Andrew Morgan
CEO, Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital
Chris Lewis
Interim Director, Tiffin-Seneca United Way
Brenda Luhring*
Superintendent, North Central Ohio Educational Service Center
Kathy Oliver*
Director, Seneca County Department of Job & Family Services
Natalie Piper**
Family Representative
Ben Richards*
Superintendent, Tiffin City Schools
Julie Richards*
Health Commissioner, Seneca County General Health District
Kendra Shearer
Director of Court Services, Seneca County Juvenile Court
Erin Simmons, Secretary **
Parent Representative
David Stover**
Parent Representative
Richelle Ettel*
Parole Officer, Ohio Department of Youth Services
Sandy Hallett
Executive Director, Family & Children First Council
*denotes mandated member
**denotes parent representative
Meetings
All meetings are held at the NCOESC Office at 928 W. Market St. Tiffin, Ohio. Committee members are notified by email and a public announcement is posted in the newspaper. Contact our office with any questions about meeting dates.
* If the second Monday is a Holiday, the meeting will be held on the third Monday. For 2024, the April meeting will be held on the third Monday.
Council Meetings
Board meetings are held at 10 a.m. the second Monday of even months
Service Planning Committee
Service Planning Committee meetings are held at 9:30 a.m. the second Monday of odd months
Executive Committee
Executive Committee, which includes finance, personnel and bylaws, are held at 8:30 a.m. the second Monday of odd months
Parent Advisory Committee
Meetings are held quarterly.
