Juvenile Residential Facility COVID-19 Preparedness County Review of Response Questionnaire & Plans

As you know, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in striking down the recent Juvenile Law Center Petition, did order that the County President Judges direct their Probation and/or Children and Youth agencies to conduct a review of the residential facilities COVID-19 Response plans that serve their children in out of home placement.

RCPA worked with the PA Chief Probation Officers Council and the Juvenile Courts Judges Commission, as well as other stakeholders to develop this COVID-19 Provider Preparedness Questionnaire. It has been recommended to the Courts that if a facility has already developed a COVID-19 Response Policy or Protocol, that it can be submitted in lieu of the full questionnaire, as long as any questions not covered in the policy are addressed separately. Many of you have already completed such a plan.

It is the hope that this  protocol will reduce the amount of effort necessary on the part of the counties as well as the providers, and it can be distributed as the requests come in, or perhaps proactively to all the counties that have youth in your facility.

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director Jim Sharp.