Child Protective Services

Role of County Agencies

One of the purposes of the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) is to ensure that each county children and youth agency establishes a program of protective services to ensure the child's safety. Each program must:

• Include procedures to assess risk of harm to a child;
• Be able to respond adequately to meet the needs of the family and child who may be at risk; and
• Prioritize the responses and services rendered to children most at risk.

County agencies are the sole civil entity charged with investigating reports of suspected child abuse and student abuse under the CPSL (See Footnote 8 below). They must have the cooperation of the community for other essential programs, such as encouraging more complete reporting of child abuse and student abuse, adequately responding to meet the needs of the family and child who may be at risk and encouraging innovative and effective prevention programs. The county agencies prepare annual plans describing how they will implement the law. The county court, law enforcement agencies, other community social services agencies and the general public provide input to the plan.

Number of Reports Investigated Within 30 and 60 Days, 2006 - Table 8

The CPSL requires county agency staff and the Department's staff to complete child abuse and student abuse investigations within 30 days from the date the report is registered at ChildLine. If the summary report of an investigation is not postmarked or electronically submitted to ChildLine within 60 days, the report must be considered unfounded (see Table 8).

• Within 30 days, 54 percent of the reports were completed.
• Within 31-60 days, 45 percent of the reports were completed.
• Less than one percent of the reports were automatically considered unfounded after 60 days.

Services Provided and Planned (see Footnote 9 below) 2006

The county children and youth agency is required to provide services during investigation or plan for services as needed to prevent further abuse.

Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT)

Composed of professionals from a variety of disciplines who are consultants to the county agency in its case management responsibilities that:

• Assist the county agency in diagnosing child abuse;
• Provide or recommend comprehensive coordinated treatment;
• Periodically assess the relevance of treatment and the progress of the family; and
• Participate in the state or local fatality review team to investigate a child fatality or to develop and promote strategies to prevent child fatalities.

Parenting Education Classes

Programs for parents on the responsibilities of parenthood.

Protective and Preventive Counseling Services

Counseling and therapy for individuals and families to prevent further abuse.

Emergency Caregiver Services

Temporary substitute care and supervision of children in their homes.

Emergency Shelter Care

Residential or foster home placement of children taken into protective custody after being removed from their homes.

Emergency Medical Services

Emergency medical services which include appropriate emergency medical care for examination, evaluation and treatment of children suspected of being abused.

Preventive and Educational Programs

Programs to increase public awareness and willingness to identify victims of suspected child abuse and to provide necessary community rehabilitation.

Self-Help Groups

Groups of parents organized to help reduce or prevent abuse through mutual support and help.

Role of the Regional Offices

DPW's Office of Children, Youth and Families has regional offices in Philadelphia, Scranton, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Their responsibilities include:

• Monitoring, licensing and providing technical assistance to public and private children and youth agencies and facilities;
• Investigating child abuse when the alleged perpetrator is a county agency employee or one of its agents;
• Monitoring county agencies' implementation of the CPSL;
• Ensuring regulatory compliance of agencies and facilities by investigating complaints and conducting annual inspections;
• Assisting county agencies in the interpretation and implementation of Protective Services regulations; and
• Reviewing and recommending approval of county needs-based plans and budget estimates.

Regional Investigations of Agents of the Agency, 2005-2006 - Table 9

Section 6362(b) of the CPSL requires the Department to investigate reports of suspected child abuse "when the suspected abuse has been committed by the county agency or any of its agents or employees . . .." An agent of the county agency is anyone who provides a children and youth social service for, or on behalf of, the county agency. Agents include:

• Foster parents;
• Residential child care staff;
• Staff and volunteers of other agencies providing services for children and families;
• Staff and volunteers at child care centers;
• Staff of social service agencies; or
• Preadoptive parents.

In 2006, regional staff investigated 2,027 reports of suspected abuse involving agents of a county agency, a decrease of six percent from 2005 (see Table 9). The overall regional substantiation rate decreased to six percent from seven percent in 2005.

Type of Abuse of Children in Substitute Care by Region (Substantiated Reports), 2006 - Table 10

The total number of injuries, 126, exceeds the number of substantiated reports, 123, because some children received several injuries (see Table 10). The data show the following changes from 2005 to 2006:

• An overall increase in injuries from 150 to 152.
• An increase in physical injuries from 41 to 45.
• A decrease in sexual injuries from 106 to 97.
• An increase in neglect from two to ten.
• A decrease in mental injuries from one to zero.

Footnote 8: The appropriate office of DPW would assume the role of the county agency if an employee or agent of the county agency has committed the suspected abuse.

Footnote 9: As part of the investigation, the need for services is evaluated. Services may be provided immediately or planned for a later date.

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