ON MAY 1 AND 2, 2008, juvenile court judges, children service agency directors, and representatives of local funding authorities, school systems and service providers from across Ohio gathered in Columbus for the first Ohio Summit on Children.

Modeled after previously held national events, the Summit hosted teams of representatives from each Ohio county charged with assessing local strengths and challenges in the delivery of services to Ohio children. The teams now will use that information to develop local plans for improvement and identify the state-level tasks needed to benefit the state's children and families.

Our goals for the Summit were to build on existing initiatives and to foster collaborative efforts between county teams and the state to enhance the safety, well-being and permanent home environments of Ohio children. County teams can demonstrate real progress with participation in the follow-up Summit slated for late 2009, where success will be measured in terms of positive outcomes for children and families.

Resources and Summit videos are available on this Web site. Any questions can be directed to the Summit planning committee.