Youth & Family Ombudsmen Outreach Intern; Fall

Job Description – Youth & Family Ombudsmen Outreach Intern (Fall 2026) (260003J4)

Job & Family Services

Agency Contact Name and Information: odjfscareerso.gov

United States of America – OHIO

Compensation: $14 - $20 based on academic year

Part-time

Union:
Exempt from Union

Internship

Technical

Skills:

Marketing, Communications, Internship, Social Services

Professional

Skills:

Active Learning, Attention to Detail, Building Trust

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) supports Ohioans and their families through the following programs:

• Cash and Food Assistance
• Employment Services and Workforce Development
• Unemployment Insurance
• Adult Protective Services
• Child Support

Public service is an honorable way to serve the community in a hands‑on dedicated way. You can make a difference in someone’s world!

• We will be a leader in customer satisfaction.
• We will have a reputation that attracts and retains talented, diverse, and dedicated employees.
• We get better at what we do every day.

The Office of Youth and Family Ombudsmen independently reviews and resolves complaints related to child protective services, foster care, and adoption. The office serves individuals, including youth in children services custody, by investigating complaints and offering guidance.

In this position, you will work closely with the staff across the office. This team is small, flexible and will provide you with opportunities to engage in constituent‑centered outreach, strategic stakeholder engagement, and systemwide review of children services practice and public policy.

• Advance outreach priorities aimed to expand public knowledge of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights and support services offered by the Youth Ombudsman.
• Advance outreach priorities aimed to expand public knowledge of the Resource Family Bill of Rights and support services offered by the Family Ombudsman.
• Develop a social media education campaign; write copy and create graphics within brand standards.
• Collaborate with the ODJFS Office of Communications to execute the social media campaign.
• Collaborate with other organizations invested in child welfare to strategize and work toward shared goals.
• Attend a United States Ombudsman Association (USOA) Children and Family Chapter Meeting.
• Organize and provide presentations on Foster Youth Bill of Rights and/or the Resource Family Bill of Rights.
• Support the Resource Manager in public and private agency leader outreach.
• Attend a Youth Advisory Board meeting with the Youth Ombudsman or Assistant Youth Ombudsman.
• Conduct research of applicable administrative and revised code to inform investigative strategy on complaints.
• Shadow ombudsman staff on an investigative call or meeting.

• Introduction to Public Service
• Ethical and Professional Behavior
• Diversity and Difference
• Children Services System:
  Policy and Practice
• Ombudsman Standards and Best Practices
• Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect
• Legal Framework
• Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
• Stakeholder Engagement

One academic year August 2026 – May 2027

8–10 hours per week M‑F. Hours must be worked between 8AM – 5PM.

This position will be headquartered in an ODJFS Facility in one of the following cities – Columbus, Akron, or Dayton. This determination will take into account the proximity to the applicant’s home address.

Rhodes State Officer Tower – 30

E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Akron – 172 S. Broadway Street, Akron, OH 44308
Dayton – 6680 Poe Avenue, Dayton, OH 45414

Occasional travel within the state of Ohio.

• Interest in the fields of child protection, trauma‑informed care, public policy, strategic communications and system evaluation
• Upper‑class undergraduate or graduate student
• Lived experience in the children services system

• Must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university and in good academic standing. Proof of academic enrollment (current transcript…