LCCS worker named Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year
WTVG Staff, Oct. 3, 2025.
An employee with Lucas County Children Services received a statewide honor Friday for his work with teens going through the foster system. Jeffrey Chesser, an Independent Living Youth Advocate , was named Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO).
Chesser received the award at the organization’s annual conference, held in Columbus. His duties at LCCS include supporting teens ages 14 to 18 who are likely to emancipate from foster care without family connections.
Below are more details about this award, from PCSAO:
The 2025 Support Advocate of the Year was presented to someone whose compassion has changed the lives of some of our most vulnerable youth: Jeffery Chesser of Lucas County Children Services.
An eight-year veteran of his agency, he stepped into a new role as an Independent Living Youth Advocate in 2022. In this role, he works with young people over the age of 14—youth who often face the reality that they may not return to their families and instead will transition into adulthood on their own. These are some of the most challenging cases—youth who carry deep trauma, who are rightfully angry, and who often lack the support systems they need. He does not shy away from the challenge, but embraces it with compassion, patience, and a fierce belief in every young person’s potential.
Our awardee comes in early, stays late, and even comes back from vacation when a youth needs him. He shows up at court hearings, school activities, award ceremonies, and therapy sessions—sometimes when the assigned caseworker cannot be there. He is the one driving youth across the state to attend Youth Advisory Board meetings so that their voices can be heard at the state level. And in doing all this, he ensures that no young person ever feels forgotten or overlooked.
But his advocacy is more than just showing up—it’s about changing lives in real, practical ways. When one young man was struggling in school, our honoree challenged him to raise his grades above a C average. He made the deal personal: if the youth succeeded, he would buy him the sneakers he’d been dreaming of. The youth rose to the challenge. That moment became more than new shoes—it became proof to the young man that someone believed in him.
In another example, when a youth with sensory challenges was nervous about attending the agency’s graduation celebration, our awardee went out of his way to walk him through the event in advance, easing his fears. On the day of the celebration, he gave the young person noise-canceling headphones—just in case. Because of his care and presence, the youth was able to stay, celebrate, and be honored alongside his peers.
Our awardee mentors teen fathers, teaching them the importance of being present in their children’s lives. He works with young men struggling with anger, often because of domestic violence in their homes, showing them by example that a man can be strong and also kind, patient, and gentle.
And when crisis strikes, he does not turn away. One winter, when a youth with severe mental health needs ran away in sub-zero weather without adequate clothing, this worker could have said, “It’s not my case” or “It’s after hours.” Instead, he went searching for the young man himself—because his safety mattered more. Months later, during another crisis, he again dropped everything to be by that youth’s side, offering stability and care in a moment when it was needed most.
Today’s honoree doesn’t do this for recognition—he does it because he cares with his whole heart. As one colleague said, “What I appreciate most … is his consistent willingness to help others and prioritize their needs above his own. Whether it’s visiting youth in the hospital, supporting a colleague, or even picking up lunch for his entire unit, [he] demonstrates compassion and selflessness in everything he does.”
For his unwavering dedication, his mentorship, his compassion, and his refusal to give up on any young person, PCSAO recognized Jeffrey Chesser of Lucas County Children Services as PCSAO’s 2025 Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year.
