The following are citizen to citizen suggestions only.  It is not legal advice. 

When dealing with the child protection services (including ODJFS) in any capacity, it is vital to conduct all business in writing with proof of mailing.

Keep copies of all correspondence. Keep a written log of every single happening. The formation of an organized chronological file is vital. Dates and times are essential. I encourage you to begin forming one today. If you have witnesses, type out in their words what they have witnessed and have them sign it in front of a notary. If you have day care professionals, teachers, etc. who have anything to say about you and your family, get a letter from them. These people can be positive for you but go against what child protection sometimes wants to do, so that information is not even put in the file, even if they do speak with the professionals.

Record all phone conversations, as it is not illegal in the state of Ohio to do so. As long as you are a party to the conversation you may record that conversation and do not have to tell the other person that you are doing so. You can purchase a small recorder at radio shack that will plug into an older style phone.

Never, ever, ever sign a case plan if you are innocent of child abuse or neglect. No matter how much caseworkers and their supervisors may threaten you. It is all they need to take your children. Know that you are supposed to be a part of creating your case plan. If your attorney advises you to just sign the case plan in order to “Cooperate” with the agency, get another attorney immediately. DO NOT stop searching for an attorney until you find one with no rubber stamp in his or her briefcase.

Never, ever, ever go for a psychological evaluation where they tell you to go. They are not legally allowed to tell you where to go and it is in your family’s best interest to go to a qualified evaluator that does not contract with children’s services for money.

Write your local officials and ask that it be made mandatory that child protection caseworkers be licensed with the state. Many are not licensed and thus have no accountability to the state for their actions.

Also, ask that QUALIFIED PERSONS conduct child interviews and that they be electronically recorded.

Juvenile records are not public records and this allows power mongers to operate under a cloak of secrecy. There is no fair trial and being heard by a jury of your peers in juvenile court. I could 99.9% guarantee that if an accused person were able to see their file at child services that they would not be able to believe what they were reading. Accusations and possibly the posterior portion of any horoscope to say the least. Unfortunately, accused people are not allowed to see their files at child services, so who knows?
If you have a caseworker you are not comfortable with, you can request another one if you wish. In writing of course with proof of mailing.

What you can do is write a letter to the commissioners office and ask for a conference with them-it will not be the first time that they have heard these things about this individual. Make a copy of the letter and send it priority mail with tracking number or certified mail. Keep all proofs of mailing.

Write a letter to the governor detailing dates and actions regarding your family. Make a copy and mail it priority mail with a tracking number or certified mail. Keep all proofs of mailing. It probably will be forwarded to Dorothy Hughes-she will call you. TAPE RECORD that conversation then transcribe it. You will be amazed at how it resembles a merry-go-round and so will others. After she closes your case the next day, request your records from them. They will show very interesting investigating techniques.

Request a complaint form. Complaint forms are not easy to track down and many people do not even know that they exist, but they do. It will probably take 2 to 6 weeks to even talk to the person you need to talk to for a complaint form but do it anyways. Follow all instructions enclosed with the complaint form and return it within the time frame specified. Make a copy and return it priority mail with tracking number or certified mail. Request a copy of your file, you will not get it, but do it anyways.

Sadly, it is not a thing where everyone works together for the best interest of children and families, as the public believes. It is a game of power, Us -vs.- Them is the caseworker motto in many cases. There are good caseworkers; they are just few and far between. It is about each American knowing what their rights are, many don’t and the powers that be use that to their advantage.

 
Also, I would strongly encourage you to get into some type of counseling to help you through this ordeal. Do not go in Portage County; go to Summit County or elsewhere.

Caseworkers/supervisors can and probably will retaliate against you when you fight for what is right. There is no one to stop them from doing so.