Members of Task Force on Child Protection Announced

On Jan. 10, Governor Tom Corbett, Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Sam Smith announced their respective appointees to the commonwealth's newly formed Task Force on Child Protection. The 11-member task force will study current practices and recommend steps to improve child abuse reporting, strengthen laws relating to child abuse, and train appropriate people in reporting abuse. 

The task force must meet at least five times by Sept. 30, 2012, and issue a final report by Nov. 30, 2012, that includes recommendations to improve the reporting of child abuse, bolster training in child abuse reporting and make any necessary changes to state law. 

While the public outrage surrounding recent, high-profile child sexual abuse allegations could lead to emotionally fueled "quick fix" reactions, the formation of this task force underscores the need for a more deliberate approach to addressing possible shortcomings in the laws meant to protect children from harm. A strongly emotional reaction to such horrific allegations is hardly surprising, but we must make sure any policy changes are driven by reason and not simply emotion.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children has always advocated taking a thoughtful, deliberative approach to crafting quality solutions to challenges in the child welfare system. The work of this task force gives Pennsylvania a strong opportunity to build on our efforts to protect children from child abuse. Stay tuned.