HOW THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEMWORKS IN PENNSYLVANIA The purpose of the child welfare system is to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect, find ways to support and stabilize families, and determine ways to mitigate risks to child safety. More than 44,000 reports of child abuse were received by child welfare agencies in 2018, with a 50% increase in a 5-year period. v Child abuse referrals are prompted by calls from mandated reporters who have concerns with abuse allegations, such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Less severe
reports, referred to as General Protective Services (GPS) referrals, vi include allegations such as homelessness, inability to meet basic needs, truancy or other concerns not meeting the definition of child abuse. In 2018, GPS referrals accounted for over 160,000 of the calls made to ChildLine, the state’s abuse reporting system, and outpaced abuse referrals by almost four times. vii Neglect referrals impact families of color more often than white families, and correlate to other non-abuse issues that can be addressed by community-based interventions rather than formal child welfare involvement. Home visiting, family support centers, outpatient mental health and drug and alcohol services are examples of services which can be provided in the community, without the formal need of child welfare agency involvement. When a call is made to ChildLine, the county child welfare agency is required to review the allegations and determine if intervention is necessary to ensure the safety of the child or children. This is outlined by state statute under the Child Protective Services Law. Even if an investigation is required, and intervention is necessary, the county agency is required to serve the family in the least restrictive way possible to keep the family intact while offering in-home services. In 2018, almost 190,000 children and families were provided with in-home services through the child welfare system, with a primary goal to stabilize and prevent placement. viii In-home services are often parenting, mental/behavioral health, and substance use services contracted by the child welfare agency. However, it is not always possible to keep parents and children together, especially when it relates to child safety. When out-of-home placement is required, the system should always seek to ensure the least restrictive placement as possible to meet the child’s and family’s
needs. As noted above, the first option should always be with kin, because they offer invaluable connections to the child, such as community, race, religion or ethnicity. ix The 2019 state-level report of Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS) provides details on formal foster kinship caregiving in Pennsylvania. x Of the more than 6,000 children placed with a relative, representing 38% of all children in foster care, almost 70% are children under the age of 11. In 2019, only 13% of children adopted from foster care were adopted by relatives, and another 13% exited to guardianship with formal kin (the difference being in guardianship the biological parent can still regain custody of the child whereas in adoption that ability is terminated). When a child exits the child welfare system to permanency – into arrangements such as adoption or guardianship - younger children were more likely to be adopted and older children experienced higher rates of guardianship. These children spent on average over 17 months under the jurisdiction of the child welfare agency prior to exiting to guardianship, which is longer than the national average of over 15 months. Compared to white children, Black and Hispanic children are less likely to exit to permanency with kin.
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Kinship Care in Pennsylvania: Creating an Equitable System for Families – January 2021
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