Summit County Children's Services presented a revised memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Nov. 4 setting joint procedures with municipal police departments, the sheriff's office, the prosecutor's office, juvenile and probate courts, Akron Children's Hospital and other partners for child-abuse and neglect investigations. The Health & Human Services committee approved the MOU.

Catherine Van Horn, deputy director and chief legal counsel at Summit County Children's Services, said the MOU responds to state law requirements and coordinates items such as the agency's 24-hour hotline, use of the Child Advocacy Center at Akron Children's Hospital to minimize multiple interviews of child victims, and processes for working with law enforcement.

"Summit County Children's Services is required by the Ohio Revised Code to create an MOU with our community partners, to set out normal operating procedures for how we respond to and investigate child abuse and neglect," Van Horn said.

John Hart, chief legal counsel at Children's Services, told committee members the state recently reorganized child-and-youth oversight into a new state agency, and the administrative-code references in the MOU were updated accordingly. Hart said investigations are now required to be completed within 60 days (previously 45), the state has implemented a new electronic reporting system for mandated reporters, and the MOU clarifies that voluntary custody agreements with parents may be used in appropriate cases.

The committee recorded a motion to approve the resolution; members did not raise objections during the public discussion. Van Horn said all signatories, including the Summit County Sheriff, municipal police, juvenile court and Akron Children's Hospital, had signed the updated MOU and the county had received preliminary state approval.