Officials say Ohio is joining a national research project to reduce turnover among caseworkers in the child welfare field.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says turnover at child welfare agencies is typically six times the average rate for all industries.
Eight Ohio counties will participate in the project led by the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development. The organization is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Ohio is one of just a few states with a child welfare system supervised by the state but run by counties. ODJFS director Cynthia Dungey says that puts Ohio in a unique position to provide information about turnover and other staffing challenges.
The eight Ohio counties participating are Champaign, Clark, Hamilton, Knox, Montgomery, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne.