Lancaster County child abuse, neglect reports down but confirmed cases up

Child abuse and neglect cases declined 28% in Lancaster County in 2020, but the number of substantiated cases reached the highest level in five years, according to a new Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children report. In 2020, 14.1% of the cases investigated were substantiated in Lancaster County. In 2019, the substantiation rate was 9.2%. “You had […]

Report paints uncertain picture of Pa. child welfare system in pandemic | Wednesday Morning Coffee

A new report paints an uncertain picture for children, families and Pennsylvania’s child welfare system amid the COVID-19 pandemic, finding declines in child protective service reports and the number of children served in the state’s foster care system. The report makes a number of recommendations to policymakers across a wide variety of program areas. But […]

Annual State of Child Welfare Report Shows Uncertainty for Children, Families and Child Welfare System Amid Pandemic

Decreases in Child Protective Services Reports and Children Served in the Foster Care System Are 2020 Data and Do Not Reflect System Improvements In an effort to improve Pennsylvania’s child welfare system, the 12th annual State of Child Welfare report released by today by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children raises concerns about the need to strengthen […]

New Pa. program aims to help at-risk kids stay out of foster care, group homes | Tuesday Coffee

A new state action plan taking effect this month aims to keep more at-risk children in their homes and communities, reducing the need for foster and group home placements. The plan is required under the federal Family First Prevention Services Act, a piece of legislation authorized under a February 2018 bipartisan budget deal that ended a government shutdown, and […]

Don’t double down on failed system of mandatory child abuse reporting: Opinion

Just as we finally may be coming to grips with the racial bias that permeates every aspect of American life, and how that harms families of color, along come some federal auditors proposing to double down on a system that wreaks havoc on thousands of children who are overwhelmingly poor and disproportionately nonwhite.

State of the Child

 

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