DYS Every Child Matters RFP

A. Statement of Needs:

Youth committed to DYS who have children do not develop the competencies, child rearing and communication skills to be successful parents and to build healthy families. This fuels an intergenerational cycle of increased delinquency and victimization.

It is well researched and documented that justice-involved youth face complex challenges, and justice-involved youth who have children face even more barriers to success and barriers to meaningful involvement in the lives of their children. These youth often have delinquent peer associations, exposure to trauma, greater involvement in substance use, risky sexual behaviors, and educational deficits.  The cumulative risks of these youth also increase their probability of becoming a teen parent. Research funded specific to adolescent males by OJJDP estimates probability of teen fatherhood given a youth’s exposure to certain risk factors. Specifically, research proposes that a juvenile offender has a 20% cumulative probability of becoming a teen father if he lives in an impoverished social context. A juvenile offender has a 44% cumulative probability of teen fatherhood if he is a victim of disruptive family environment, and 76% cumulative probability if he is exposed to both social and familial risk variables simultaneously. In comparison, if he is exposed to none of these risk factors, he has a 6% probability of being a teen father.

Youth in Every Child Matters program have grown up in families and communities where they are more likely to have experienced two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Research shows a direct correlation between the number of ACEs experienced in childhood and the likelihood of positive life outcomes. An increased number of ACEs creates toxic stress which can impact development and lead to poor health, lower academic outcomes and an increase in harmful behaviors. Having caring adults in one’s life and trauma engaged programming can reduce toxic stress and support youth to heal from their trauma, increasing their likelihood of success in our program and in the community. Additionally, by addressing and healing from trauma, youth will be better prepared to meet the needs of their own children and develop healthier relationships with their children and family members.

While DYS has made concerted efforts with state and community partners to identify and provide services and support for justice-involved youth with children, adequate mentorship services do not currently exist for this transition age population. Subsequently, young parents have a well-documented rate of failure. Specifically, they do not develop the competencies, childrearing, and communication skills to be successful parents and to build healthy families. This fuels an intergenerational cycle of increased delinquency and victimization.

To address these issues, this program will: a) refine DYS’ protocol and expectations for services and supports for youth who have children; b) identify and engage an estimated 180 youth over three years, to provide emotional and financial supports for their child(ren); c) assess individual family needs; d) develop individual treatment plans supporting youth and child during incarceration, and a reentry plan for each youth; e) increase access for children to incarcerated parents; f) provide evidenced-based programs for youth, child and other parent support reentry with community-based case management / professional coaching, housing, employment, mental health and substance use services, and other individualized services and supports developed to address the unique needs of the youth and family.
B. Statement of Services:

DYS is seeking to identify a provider who can deliver Evidence Based Parenting Curriculum virtually to DYS contracted female facilities and in person to the following male Juvenile Correctional Facilities:

1. Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility 2775 Indian River Rd, Massillon, OH 44646
2. Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility 4321 Green Rd, Highland Hills, OH 44128
3. Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility 640 Island Rd, Circleville, Oh 43113

1. Developing parenting skills
2. Improving communication skills/communicating effectively with parenting partners
3. Healthy Relationships
4. Self-esteem building
5. Parent-child bonding
6. Regulating emotions
7. Pro social skills/behavior
8. Family engagement
9. Child development/developmental milestones for infants and toddlers
10. Appropriate discipline
11. Child abuse prevention
12. Infant mortality education
13. Safe play
14. Dispelling the myth of toxic masculinity
15. Positive Youth development
16. Life Skills