Richland County Children Services

08/31/2026

🎉 You’re Invited! 🎉
Join Richland County Children Services (RCCS) for the Richland County Community Baby Shower on Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 12 PM – 3 PM at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center in Mansfield! 🍼💛
This FREE event is for expectant parents, new parents, and caregivers. Come connect with local resources, enjoy fun activities, and take home helpful baby items.
✨ What to Expect:
• Free baby supplies & giveaways
• Parenting tips & health resources
• Community support & networking
• Light refreshments & family-friendly fun
📍 Location: 890 West 4th Street, Mansfield, OH
📅 Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
🕛 Time: 12 PM – 3 PM
📲 How to Register:
Scan the QR Code on the event flyer to sign up today and reserve your spot!
Let’s celebrate new beginnings together! 💕

08/31/2026

The Heart of Our Work: Richland County Children Services (RCCS) Kinship Navigator Program.
Stepping into a caregiving role can happen overnight. It brings sudden emotional and financial challenges. That is where our dedicated Kinship Navigators come in. Our navigators, Rhonda Marsh and Arlillian Nixon, act as personal guides for extended families. They walk alongside caregivers to cut through confusion and provide direct relief. Our navigators connect families to vital resources, including Medicaid, food assistance childcare subsidies, Ohio Works First, and utility support. They also offer guidance on legal matters—including power of attorney, custody, guardianship, and Caregiver Authorization Affidavit—making it easier for families to navigate the system. The Kinship Program also plays an important role in community engagement efforts collaborating with The New Store with their programs which includes: the Back Pack Back to School Program, Coats for Kids Program, Christmas Program, as well as the Youse Scholarship Program which helps caregivers with the expense of children involved in sports and other extracurricular activities. The Kinship Program also works with the Mansfield Police Department Neighborhood Impact Section assisting with the Back to School Sock and Shoe Drive, the FOP Cop N Kids shopping for back to school, the Coca-Cola Mansfield branch that helps RCCS in ensuring a bright Christmas for Kinship families, and the Lexington Ohio Farmers Market Stuff the Bus Drive that supports kinship youth with school supplies/personal hygiene items. By building these supportive resource networks, Rhonda and Arli lighten the burden on caregivers.

Pictured: Kinship Navigators Rhonda Marsh and Arlillian Nixon

08/31/2026

September is National Kinship Care Month. It is a time to honor grandparents, relatives, and family friends in raising children, while advocating for stronger support systems for kinship families. In Ohio, more than 297,000 children under the age of 18 live with relatives other than their parents, many with caregivers who have provided support for five years or more. These heroes step up to raise children when parents cannot. This month Richland County Children Services (RCCS) recognizes our Kinship Care Program led by Program Manager Heather Swanson. The Kinship Program includes Kinship Navigators Rhonda Marsh and Arlillian Nixon. The program is built to keep families together. When a family crisis happens, our team moves quickly. We help children move into safe, familiar homes instead of traditional foster care. “So far this year our Kinship Navigators are servicing 94 families and 179 children. They have also assisted with 15 more kinship legal cases that do not have abuse/neglect concerns, thus averaging 109 cases involving relatives or fictive kin caring for children,” said Program Manager Heather Swanson. “Rhonda and Arli are both amazing navigators that try to go above and beyond to support caregivers."

Pictured: Program Manager Heather Swanson
Photos by Pexels

08/27/2026

Join Richland County Children Services (RCCS) in collaboration with the Madison Township Fire Department, for the Trunk-or-Treat & Touch-a-Truck family fun event!
Event Details
• Date: Saturday, October 24th
• Time: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Location: MCHS Rams Madison Comprehensive HS parking lot 600 Esley Lane Mansfield, OH
• Rain Date: Saturday, October 31st from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For more information or to sign up to be a trunker contact RCCS Community Engagement Support Paula Caldwell at [email protected] or 419- 774-4163 or Community Engagement Supervisor Brigitte Coles at [email protected] or 419-774-4168.

08/25/2026

The local FOP raises money for students each year and partners with Richland County Children Services (RCCS) Kinship Navigator Program, for this event.

FOP Lodge 32 marks 30 years of helping Mansfield and Richland County kids with new school clothes through Cops N Kids.

08/25/2026

Join our Team!! Richland County Children Services (RCCS)
is seeking a dedicated Attorney to join our mission of protecting children and strengthening families. If you’re passionate about advocacy and justice, this is your opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families in our community. Click the link below for more information. https://www.richlandcountychildrenservices.org/careers/job-openings-how-to-apply

08/19/2026

OasisofLove Church is proud to partner with Richland County Children Services (RCCS) on the "This Seat Is Waiting for Someone Who Can Open Their Home to a Child in Need” foster care campaign. From August 19 to September 19, visit Oasis of Love Church at 190 Chester Ave. in Mansfield, OH, to see one of these symbolic chairs up close. The chair features a flyer containing information about fostering, along with a QR code linking directly to the RCCS Foster/Adoption Department, making it simple for community members to learn more or begin the process of becoming a foster parent. For more information call 419-774-4100. Special thanks to Brother Raymond Cochran, Sister Dorothy Campbell and Sister Gloria Reed of the Oasis of Love Church. Local businesses, faith communities, and organizations are encouraged to join the campaign by allowing RCCS to place a campaign chair at their location.

08/17/2026

Richland County Children Services (RCCS) provides 24/7 support to protect children in our community. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call 419-774-4100 (Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

08/16/2026

Special thanks to our incredible community partner, Crossroads City Center, for the opportunity for Richland County Children Services (RCCS) to serve alongside you at the Back-to-School Bash for students attending Mansfield City School District Malabar Intermediate School. Together, we are building a stronger, more supported community for our kids!

08/16/2026

Richland County Children Services (RCCS) Joins Mansfield City School District Peace on My Block Back-to-School Resource Fair and Open House at Mansfield Senior High School.

Mansfield Senior High School kicked off the school year on Thursday, August 13, hosting its annual "Peace on My Block" Back-to-School Resource Fair and Open House.

A major focus of the afternoon was community support and safety education. Richland County Children Services (RCCS) joined several other local organizations to provide families with vital resources.
The RCCS Community Engagement Team hosted an informational table focused on child abuse prevention.