BUCYRUS — Crawford County Job and Family Services has contracted with another agency to attempt to better serve local residents.

Crawford JFS began its contract to turn over adult protective services to the Ohio Area Agency on Aging District 5 in Ontario on Oct. 1.

Adult protective services are services provided to citizens older than 60 from exploitation, neglect and self-neglect.

“They are the experts on that,” Crawford County JFS Director Cassandra Holtzmann said. “We are the experts in child protective services and they are very different.

“We are very confident in the agency’s ability, and this allows us to focus on child protective services and reunification.”

Crawford County Children’s Services Administrator Andy Nigh said the contract cuts down on steps needed to handle referrals and reports and will quicken the process to assist those who need it.

“Before we would get referrals from the agency for services, and then we’d have to send some back and it would continue that way,” Nigh said. “With the new contract those handling the APS have a foot in both departments and it speeds up the process.”

Holtzmann said the same staff that previously handled APS cases for Crawford County still will continue to do so in the Crawford County JFS building, but they now work for the Area Agency on Aging.

“That way, those who need the services will still have the same face to go to as before,” she said.

Funding and resources are also expected to improve with the transition. Holtzmann said the minority of their funding can be used on the aging population, while it’s the agency’s primary focus.

“They are more heavily funded in that area,” Holtzmann said. “The agency is also doing much more in housing, which job and family services doesn’t really do.”

Nigh said because the agency serves a large region, including Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland, Seneca and Wyandot counties, it has a larger number of resources to offer and tap into.

“It’s very exciting for us,” Holtzmann said. “In just the few weeks we’ve been doing this, those involved have said it’s been going great.”

The contract between Crawford County JFS and the Area Agency on Aging is controlled by job and family services and operates on a year-by-year basis but may be extended to a maximum of three years.

Holtzmann said job and family services still is involve with adult protective services and those with concerns or needs may still contact the department at 419-562-0015.