• Personally identifiable information provided to us through our online complaint and contact forms.
  • The online Youth Complaint form and Family Complaint forms have some required fields, which include your first and last name, date of birth, contact information, best times you can be reached, and a short description of your complaint.
  • Please do not submit to us sensitive personally identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, or medical or financial information through our Contact form.
• Generic, internet-user information. It may include:
  • Internet protocol address of the individual computer (or proxy server) making the request,
  • Type of internet browser or computer operating system you are using,
  • Date and time you accessed this site,
  • Web pages visited on this site, and
  • Internet address of the site from which you may have linked to this site.

Personally identifiable information that you submit in email or online forms is used so that we can answer or process your request as effectively as possible.

All information collected through server log files is used in aggregate form to analyze usage trends and statistics to help us improve our website. It may also be used to identify and respond to threats to the state network.

Cookies may be used when necessary to complete a transaction, to process data submitted to us online, or to facilitate ongoing internet interaction.

The Youth and Family Ombudsmen Office is prohibited from disclosing your Complaint Form, or any confidential case information obtained during the ombudsman's investigation of your reported concerns, except as may be otherwise required or permitted by law. The Youth and Family Ombudsmen Office is required under statute to release identifying information in certain situations. You will be notified if identifying information is required to be released.

Files of the office and any records contained in those files are not public records subject to inspection or copying under section 149.43 of the Revised Code. Information contained in investigative and other files maintained by the office shall be disclosed only at the discretion of the office or if disclosure is required by a court order.

After you submit a Youth or Family Complaint form online or by calling 1-877-649-6884 (1-877-OH-YOUTH):

• The Youth and Family Ombudsmen staff may contact you using the information you provide or by contacting the facility where you are currently living and asking to speak with you directly.
• The Youth Ombudsman or Family Ombudsman may ask to speak with you in person.
• The Youth and Family Ombudsmen staff may contact family, friend(s) and/or professional supports you shared in your complaint submission.
• There may be circumstances that require the Youth and Family Ombudsmen staff to contact the authorities (for example, to report child abuse or neglect, or information on a runaway youth).