Pennsylvania's court officials kicked off National Foster Care Month by touting a promising statistic: the commonwealth's foster care population has declined by about one-third in recent years.

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said there are now about 14,000 foster children, compared to 21,000 six years ago. State Supreme Court Justice Max Baer attributes the steep decline to the commonwealth's stepped-up efforts to find safe, permanent homes for kids in foster care.

"Our courts and child welfare agencies have collaborated and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of abused and neglected children and their families, but there is much more work to do," Justice Baer said at a Children's Roundtable Summit last week. "As we continue our efforts to safely reduce the number of children in foster care, we will focus more on the mental well-being of children and strive to minimize the level of trauma experienced by those children who, through no fault of their own, are placed under court supervision."

The commonwealth continues to build on this progress with efforts such as the full implementation of the federal Fostering Connections law, which will promote adoption and help older youth in foster care while generating more state and county savings and tapping into millions in new federal funding. (You might recall the state enacted legislation last summer to fully implement Fostering Connections.)

Pennsylvania also is benefitting from a federal waiver regarding its use of federal funding used for foster care placement – a waiver that allows counties to further pursue effective strategies to reduce the use of foster care, shorten the time spent in foster care and serve more young people in home and community-based foster care settings as opposed to institutional settings (often known as congregate care).

Looking ahead, we also can expand the use of effective child welfare strategies known as family finding and family conferencing to help keep kids out of foster care.

Pennsylvania is moving in the right direction when it comes to foster care, so let's make sure we keep our momentum.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Did you know today marks the last day of National Child Abuse Prevention Month? Did you know 3,565 children in Pennsylvania were reported abused last year alone? Did you do anything this month to help raise awareness about child abuse or neglect so we can help stop its horrible effects on kids, families and communities?

We're not trying to guilt-trip you. We know you're busy. Life sometimes gets in the way of the best intentions. It happens to all of us. So here's a quick, simple thing you can do right now that could help stem the horrible impacts of child abuse and neglect.

Put this number in your cell phone: 1-800-932-0313.

That's ChildLine, the state's toll-free hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. It's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone can use it to report suspected abuse, even if you want to remain anonymous. If you already have it in your phone directory, pass it along to friends, family and colleagues who might not have it in theirs.

By the way, tomorrow is the start of May, also known as National Foster Care Month. Pennsylvania has thousands of children in foster care at any given time, many of whom ended up there because of abuse or neglect. Children and teens removed from their homes face significant challenges and obstacles all year long, not just in the month of May, and those challenges often last a lifetime. These kids need our help, and the first step toward lending a hand is becoming aware of how you can be helpful.

That brings us to our second quick and simple thing you can do right now to help kids. Just join PPC's PA-Child Advocacy Network so you can be alerted to efforts to help keep Pennsylvania's kids safe from harm and in loving, secure homes.

Already belong to our advocacy network? Then please take a few seconds to forward this to a few of your friends and colleagues and ask that they sign up. They won't get bombarded with spam. They'll get occasional emails updating them on issues that impact kids and asking that they take a moment to reach out to their elected officials to make their voices heard.

So there you go. Two simple things you can do in just a few minutes to help raise a voice or lend a hand to help our kids. We thank you. And so do those kids.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

The efforts of state lawmakers to improve Pennsylvania's child abuse laws are garnering plenty of headlines these days, so let's draw some attention to a lesser-known legislative effort that can help keep at-risk children close to supportive, nurturing family members.

Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) recently introduced two bills to expand the use of effective child welfare strategies known as family finding and family conferencing.

Just as the name implies, family finding involves a process of searching for, identifying and engaging the relatives - or even close family friends – of children who have been removed from their homes and placed into foster care or whose immediate families are receiving services from the county's children and youth agency. Involving extended family as part of a child's support system is better for the child, in part because we know children are best cared for within their families and communities.

Family conferencing builds off of family finding in that once a child's extended support system is identified, child welfare officials can invite family members to a conference or meeting where everyone works together to develop a plan to support the children and family. The conferencing process emphasizes the natural supports and resources that families have, prompting those families to take the lead on developing a plan to promote the safety and well-being of the children involved. This is a more lasting, sustainable approach than expecting a child welfare agency to push short-term interventions on a family and expect long-term benefits.

When Rep. Moul, who serves as vice-chair of the House Children and Youth Committee, learned of these proposals a few years ago, he wanted to find ways to promote their use statewide. He began discussions with the Department of Public Welfare, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and others on ways to identify the core components of family finding and family conferencing so they could be put into broader use. His efforts produced two bills – House Bill 1075 and House Bill 1076 – that were introduced earlier this month and are now before the House Children and Youth Committee.

Rep. Moul has crafted a pair of proposals that will create a stronger, more supportive climate for many children who have troubled home lives or have been removed from their homes. PPC supports his efforts, and we urge you too, as well.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Last week, a bipartisan group of senators announced a package of 16 bills that would implement reforms recommended by the Task Force on Child Protection. The lawmakers backing these bills include Sens. Kim Ward and Bob Mensch, the respective Republican and Democratic chairs of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee – a key committee in advancing seven of these 16 proposals.

Here's a rundown of each proposal:

Senate Bill 20 – addresses the definition of child abuse

Senate Bill 21 – addresses mandated reporting and procedures

Senate Bill 22 – sets penalties for failure to report abuse

Senate Bill 23 – defines perpetrators of abuse

Senate Bill 24 – establishes a statewide database of protective services

Senate Bill 25 – addresses electronic reporting of abuse

Senate Bill 26 – create a statewide toll-free number to report abuse

Senate Bill 27 – provides for the exchange of information in abuse complaints

Senate Bill 28 – expands some child abuse definitions and addresses false reporting

Senate Bill 29 – requires mandatory reporting of risks to newborns such as prenatal drug exposure

Senate Bill 30 – provides immunity from liability for reporting suspected abuse

Senate Bill 31 – addresses student abuse

Senate Bill 32 – addresses sharing of information between schools and counties

Senate Bill 33 – provides protection from employment discrimination for those who report suspected abuse

Senate Bill 34 – revises the state's professional educator discipline act

Senate Bill 46 – addresses employment screening and hiring requirements for school employees and contractors

On April 9, all 16 measures will be the focus of a joint public hearing hosted by the Senate's Aging and Youth and Public Health and Welfare committees.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Among the many issues raised in the wake of the Sandusky child abuse scandal were questions about how we define child abuse and what types of background checks individuals should undergo before they can work with children.

Those issues were the subject of a hearing today before the House Children and Youth Committee, and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children weighed in with written comments on both subjects. Specifically, we urged lawmakers to support House Bill 434, which would eliminate a separate definition of what constitutes abuse by teachers and other school employees, and House Bill 435, which expands the use of background clearances to better protect children.

It might surprise you, but Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation with a separate definition of what constitutes "student abuse," which means we set a higher threshold for what constitutes abuse by school employees toward students. Simply put, our existing state law allows abusive actions against children that would be illegal in a child's home, a child care facility or other settings to be legal when they occur at the hands of a school employee. House Bill 434 fixes this.

As PPC President and CEO Joan Benso told the committee in her submitted remarks, this higher threshold "not only makes no sense, but it puts our children needlessly in harm's way when they are in school. ... Abuse is abuse – no matter where it occurs."

House Bill 435 broadens the use of background checks, requires self-disclosure of arrests or convictions that would impact an adult's ability to work with children, and creates employment bans. While PPC supports these steps, we are seeking a change to improve the legislation in regards to background checks for volunteers who work with kids.

As currently written, the bill requires unpaid volunteers who have resided in Pennsylvania for the previous 10 years to undergo a Department of Public Welfare child abuse history clearance and a State Police background check, but it does not require a federal criminal history check. Instead, the proposal leaves such federal checks to the discretion of the organization enlisting the volunteer.

PPC believes volunteers should be required to have all three background checks – the same trio of checks required for others who are paid to work with children. While this might create an additional expense for volunteers or the organizations that enlist them, it's a small price to pay to help ensure our children are safe.

To read PPC's complete comments on these bills, CLICK HERE.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children testified today before the House Children and Youth Committee in support of several proposals to strengthen state laws related to the mandatory reporting of child abuse. The bills are among a package of measures expected to see action this spring as the General Assembly delves into recommendations made last year by the Task Force on Child Protection – a panel set up to find ways to improve the child welfare system in the wake of the Sandusky abuse scandal.

Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect is a complex challenge, and PPC recognizes that simply expanding the list of people legally required to report abuse does not necessarily do more to ensure children are protected.

The task force itself acknowledged this, when it wrote in its final report: "If our goal is to protect children who are in harm's way, we will be unlikely to achieve that goal by expanding the list of groups and individuals required to make reports. Whatever the advantage of mandatory reporting laws, mandating reporting does not increase services to families or protection to children."

Benso echoed that message in her testimony today: "While we all have a moral responsibility to assure children are safe, the evidence from states that have taken a universal reporter approach doesn't indicate that their children are safer."

PPC instead supports the approach reflected in several of the bills the committee discussed today, including a proposal that allows anyone to report suspected abuse, while providing critical employment protections for those who make a good faith report of suspected abuse. We also back legislative changes that would allow for the use of more advanced communications strategies for reporting, revise training requirements for mandated reporters, and clarify institutional reporting requirements.

"We firmly believe that the bills you are discussing today - and other child welfare legislation that will come before you in the coming weeks and months - will be some of the most important legislation you will consider this spring," Benso told the House committee.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

You’ve undoubtedly heard a lot about the Affordable Care Act since it was signed into law in March 2010, but you may not have heard about how the federal health care reform law can help older youth who have “aged out” of foster care.

A provision in the ACA that allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan up to age 26 also has the potential to provide coverage to up to 200,000 young adults formerly in foster care. How? The federal government recently issued ACA-related draft regulations that would require states to provide Medicaid coverage starting in 2014 for young adults under age 26 who have aged out of foster care but were in foster care and receiving Medicaid coverage at the time they turned 18. This is a smart proposal that will help keep these young adults insured and healthy.

First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, has issued an insightful fact sheet on the draft regulations that offers effective strategies states can employ to ensure former foster youth are identified and enrolled in Medicaid, and that their coverage is maintained until they turn 26. First Focus recommends states:

• Use information technology systems that provide simplified, automatic enrollment and continuous coverage for all who are Medicaid eligible;
• Take a “no wrong door” approach to coverage that uses one-stop, consumer-friendly enrollment and re-enrollment systems to simplify the process – and limit the bureaucracy - for former foster youth seeking coverage.
• Use public information campaigns and similar outreach strategies to make former foster youth aware of their Medicaid eligibility.
• Ensure seamless coverage for youth who might move from state to state.

In Pennsylvania, nearly 850 youth aged out of foster care in 2012. Many of these young people already face too many obstacles to success. A lack of health insurance shouldn’t be one of them.

### 

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Subscribe to our Blog

(Editors note: This blog post was updated on Jan. 15 to reflect that the bill was signed into law on Jan. 14)

 A federal measure intended to help foster youth stay in school and on track to graduation by easing access to their school records was signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 14.

The “Uninterrupted Scholars Act” will make important changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to give child welfare agencies greater access to the academic records of young people in foster care. That, in turn, will help case workers and foster families better determine the education needs of foster youth.

When FERPA was enacted in 1974, it sought to protect the privacy of foster youth by restricting access to their school records. The law, while well-intentioned, hampered the efforts of child welfare workers to access academic records of those foster youth who moved from home to home and school to school. The bureaucratic hurdles inadvertently created by FERPA sometimes resulted in students needlessly repeating courses, missing out on learning opportunities and, in the worst cases, dropping out of school.

Christina Miranda, a former Pennsylvania foster youth who aged out of foster care at 18, was among those who pushed for the change in the law. She cited her own experience to illustrate how difficult it can be for foster youth to complete their education because of the existing barriers to accessing student records.

“I grew up in the foster care system. … I lived in over 10 different foster homes and I attended 10 different schools,” she said, noting that because of her frequent transfers from school to school, “I barely graduated from high school.” (Christina is featured in this brief video explaining the benefits of the Uninterrupted Scholars Act.)

The law arose from a multi-state “listening tour” last year hosted by the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, whose members include U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.). The goal of the listening tour was to gather ideas from foster youth, foster families and advocates on ways to improve the foster care system.

###

Stay on top of the latest news affecting Pennsylvania's children by following Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children via social media:

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter 

Pennsylvania is fortunate to be among nine states granted a federal waiver for its use of federal funding used for foster care placement. The waiver means Pennsylvania will have greater flexibility in how we use these federal dollars, creating an opportunity to reinvest the savings reaped from any improved foster care outcomes the commonwealth or its counties achieve.

Over the past five years, Pennsylvania has made tremendous progress in reducing the number of children in foster care – our foster care population declined by about one-third during this time. But there was a downside to that success: The amount of federal funding Pennsylvania receives for foster care is dependent upon our foster care population, and because our foster care population was shrinking, Pennsylvania began receiving less federal financial support.

The waiver will ensure a more stable flow of federal funds over the next five years. That means when children successfully leave foster care, the state and counties will not be penalized by losing financial support, and any money saved can be reinvested into services to prevent the need for foster care.

The overall objective is to shift more funding towards prevention with the focus of accomplishing three important goals:

• “Right-sizing” our state’s use of congregate care settings - Pennsylvania uses congregate care (group homes and institutions) more than the national average – 21% of children in foster care versus 14%. Many of the children in these settings are actually older youth, particularly 16- and 17-year-olds. The waiver will support a number of strategies in an effort to serve more of these teenagers in home and community-based settings. This will require the development of treatment and foster care placement alternatives.

• Reducing re-entry of children into foster care – Pennsylvania has the highest number of children returning to foster care within one year of their reunification with their caregivers – close to 30%. For youth exiting foster care from congregate care settings, the return rate can be as high as 50%. Clearly, Pennsylvania has more work to do to ensure caregivers are prepared and supported once their children exit foster care.

• Reducing the length of time in foster care - Foster care is meant to be a temporary intervention to assure and promote the safety and well-being of children while efforts are made get them into a permanent family as soon as possible. Being able to invest more resources into family preservation services can prevent many children from ever entering foster care, and lead to shorter stays for those children who do enter foster care.

The federal waiver is a great opportunity for Pennsylvania. Reforming how Pennsylvania finances the child welfare system can go a long way towards assuring the right types of services are made available to children and families.

###