For more than 140 years, Summit County Children Services (SCCS), serving Summit County, Ohio, has provided a safety net for abused and neglected children. Our goal is to ensure that children in Summit County have the ability to grow up in a safe environment. One of the most critical services we provide is our 24-Hour Child Abuse Hotline (330) 434-KIDS (5437), which enables interested parties to anonymously report concerns regarding suspected child abuse or neglect. These reports are carefully investigated to assess safety and risk of children. Our philosophy is always to maintain children in their own home and provide services that can reduce barriers that may put their safety at risk. Often, this involves development a plan for services with input from the family. When children cannot remain safely in their own homes, our goal is always to utilize relatives and kin (someone who as a relationship with the child) to care for the children. We also utilize foster homes for children in relatives and kin are not available and work toward permanent solutions that are in the best interest of the child with the first goal being reunification with family. Child abuse and neglect occurs in every community in Summit County. In recent years, the opioid epidemic and other substance use disorders have increased the need for our services with one in every eleven children in Summit County being served by SCCS.
