The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is responsible for managing a number of vital programs that directly affect the lives of Ohioans. These include cash and food assistance, job training and employment services, child care, unemployment insurance, children services (sometimes referred to as "child protective services" or "CPS"), the regulation and approval of foster care and adoption agencies and certain group homes and residential centers, adult protective services, and child support. In most cases, ODJFS supervises these programs, and our local partner agencies deliver services to Ohioans. Our partner agencies include:
- County departments of job and family services
- County public children services agencies
- County child support enforcement agencies
- Local workforce development boards
Depending on the circ*mstances, ODJFS may be able to provide some records requested. However, in many cases, especially those involving individual cases, records requests should be made to the local agencies.
Are you a reporter with a news organization?
If so, please contact theODJFS Office of Communications.
Are you looking for records regarding your own case?
Cash or Food Assistance:If you are seeking records related to your own current or former application for cash or food assistance, or your own current or former cash or food assistance case, you may be able to access them yourself. If you're registered atbenefits.ohio.gov, just log in and click "Access my benefits." Then select "View my benefits" and the case and benefit you want to view. If you can't access the records yourself, please contact your county department of job and family services. To find the contact information for your local agency, visit Agencies Directory.
Child Care:If you are seeking inspection reports for regulated child care programs, you can access this information yourself atchildcaresearch.ohio.gov. Just enter the program name and then select "Search." Records are kept online for three years. For all other records regarding child care, please emailODJFS_CHILDCARE@jfs.ohio.gov.
Child Support:If you are seeking records about your receipt or payment of child support, we recommend that you contact your county child support enforcement agency. To find the contact information for your local agency, visitAgencies Directory.
Children Services:If you are seeking records regarding your own current or prior involvement with children services or placement in foster care, you must send your request to the county public children services agency. To find the contact information for your local agency, visitAgencies Directory.
Unemployment Insurance:If you are seeking records pertaining to your own unemployment benefits, you may be able to find what you need by logging into your account online or by filling out thisonline form. If you are an employer seeking records pertaining to your unemployment taxes, please log into your account atthesource.jfs.ohio.gov.
Please note that information and/or records about an individual’s application for and/or receipt of services or benefits administered by ODJFS or the county agencies is confidential. Therefore, you will be required to verify your identity before any information or records are disclosed to you. See below for more information about confidentiality.
Are you looking for Medicaid records?
With few exceptions, such as records created or maintained for administrative hearings, ODJFS does not maintain Medicaid records. In general, the Ohio Department of Medicaid creates and maintains Medicaid-related records. To request Medicaid records in connection with a past or pending administrative hearing or appeal, visitodjfs.state.oh.us/HearingsAppeals. To request all other Medicaid records, visitmedicaid.ohio.gov.
Are you with an out-of-state agency that has an open case involving someone who used to live in Ohio?
If you are looking for children services or public assistance records involving an individual who previously lived in Ohio, please contact the local agency in the county where that person used to live. For a list of local agencies with contact information, visitAgencies Directory.
If you are with a public or private agency, and you would like to complete an alleged perpetrator search in Ohio’s Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) system, please review the"Completing an Ohio SACWIS Alleged Perpetrator Search (OSAPS) for Public and Private Agencies User Guide."
Are you a private citizen looking for public records that do not pertain to a particular individual’s receipt of services or benefits?
If so, please emaillegal@jfs.ohio.gov. Your request should be as clear and specific as possible. That will help us find the records, determine whether the law allows us to release them and, if the law allows it, provide them in a timely manner. If you have questions, please call (614) 466-4605.
Note that we may charge a fee for copying, packaging, and mailing the records, including $.05 per page for paper copies or the cost of data storage devices or other equipment needed to copy the information to an electronic medium. We also may charge for the cost of computer time if the information must be downloaded from a computer system.
Do you need to issue a subpoena for ODJFS records?
If so, please know that ODJFS does not accept subpoenas via email. All subpoenas must be delivered either in person or via certified mail. Please address the subpoena to the ODJFS office that you believe maintains the records you seek, c/o Office of Legal and Acquisition Services, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 30 E. Broad St., 31stFloor, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Important Information about Confidentiality
Many of the records ODJFS holds are confidential except to certain people. For instance, identifying information regarding applicants for or recipients of services or benefits administered or supervised by ODJFS is confidential pursuant to federal and state law and regulation. These laws and regulations include Ohio Revised Code sections 149.43 (A) (I) (V), 5101.27 (public assistance), 5101.29 (child care and foster care), 3107.17 (adoption), 3125.50 (child support), 2151.421 (child abuse/neglect complaints), 2151.141 (county child abuse/neglect investigatory file), and 4141.21 (unemployment). For those records, we will need your name and other information to ensure that we are not breaking the law by providing them to you.
