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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 29, 2025 11:23 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Maria Collett and Sen. Judith L. Schwank, Sen. Carolyn T. Comitta, Sen. Patty Kim |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Licensing of County Child Welfare Agencies |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to revise the licensing standards for county child welfare agencies. County child welfare staff report that current licensing is more focused on technical compliance of a checklist than issues that improve practice. Small things, like a missed signature on a form, can result in a citation and a need for corrective action on behalf of the county, with follow up by regional DHS officials. The result of a focus on counties’ regulatory infractions means that staff are not available to engage in meaningful assistance to help with improving outcomes. This bill will improve the working relationship between DHS and the counties by creating a licensing process based on pragmatic outcomes. It will align how Pennsylvania licenses county child welfare agencies to reflect outcomes that the Administration for Children and Families looks at for states, such as timely investigations, family engagement, and other factors in the Child and Family Service Review. Modeled after the State of Colorado, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will utilize four initiatives to assess and drive improvements to the counties' performance. These initiatives include: 1. Educational Website and Public Data Center To increase transparency and accountability in child welfare in Pennsylvania, DHS will create an educational website and public data center. This website will provide the public with an online reporting tool and reports, while protecting confidential information of the children and families served through child welfare services. 2. Results Oriented Management DHS will partner with experts in the field to create a results-oriented management system for Pennsylvania. The online reporting tool will provide both state and county staff with the ability to share data that is more current and to be able to analyze the data in ways aimed at fostering a better understanding of the system's numerous successes and challenges. 3. Administrative Review Division This legislation will create the Administrative Review Division (ARD) to serve as an independent third-party review system, under the auspices of the DHS. ARD will work closely with counties to train, measure, and assess their adherence to state and federal regulations through reviews made with visits in and out of homes, with quality assurance incorporated into these reviews. 4. Performance Review Process This legislation will provide for a performance management system that allows DHS to better focus on and improve performance outcomes. The data from ARD reviews will be used to identify areas of focus and to determine what is working or needs improvement. County child welfare offices will then work with DHS to develop strategies for improvement, implement these strategies, and help reduce any identified barriers to their success. This will help create an outcomes-oriented and collaborative approach to maintain continuous improvement within our county child welfare agencies. Please join me in sponsoring this important legislation to improve our service to children, youth, and families involved in Pennsylvania's child welfare system. |
Memo Updated: January 29, 2025 11:26 AM