The Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) intends to commence the implementation of the standardized time study reporting process in 2021. This process was supposed to be implemented in 2020 but was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The original notice sent on April 20, 2020 that announced the delay can be viewed here.
The Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) has released a special transmittal titled “Initial and Ongoing Approval of Foster Family Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. It consolidates and releases guidance to public and private children and youth social service agencies regarding the initial and ongoing approval of foster family homes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
For further information, please visit the links below.
“Initial and Ongoing Approval of Foster Family Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Please contact your OCYF regional office with any questions.
The Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) has released Bulletin 3130-20-04, 3140-20-03, 3150-20-01, 3170-20-01, 3350-20-03, 3490-20-07, 3680-20-03, 3700-20-03, 3800-20-05, entitled “Procedures to Request Waiver of Regulation(s).” This bulletin and the new waiver submission procedures outlined therein will be effective immediately upon release.
The purpose of this bulletin is to advise all public and private children and youth social service agencies and child residential and day treatment programs licensed by OCYF of our revised procedures for processing waiver requests relating to all regulations governing children and youth social service programs. This new waiver process streamlines and expedites the processing of waiver requests and offers flexibility when possible to meet the needs of families and individuals. Attached to this bulletin, you will also find the updated form for requesting a waiver of regulation(s).
Please be advised that any waivers submitted to OCYF for processing prior to the dissemination of this bulletin and form will continue to be processed. Any waiver request submitted as of December 2, 2020 must be submitted through the new procedure.
Questions regarding regulatory requirements or licensure for your agency should still be directed to your applicable OCYF Regional Office. Any other questions about this bulletin, procedure, or form may be directed here.
If you have questions or feedback, please contact RCPA Children’s Director Jim Sharp.
The Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) would like to inform you of two new resources. There is a new webpage on the PA DHS website about the education of children served by PA County Children and Youth Agencies that includes links to helpful guides, forms, and contacts. There is also a new resource account to be used by child welfare professionals to ask questions related to education that have not been resolved at the local or regional level.
Access the education webpage here.
To submit an education-related query to OCYF, please use this resource account.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director, Jim Sharp.
Available here is the Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) Bulletin 3130-19-04 entitled, “Serving Child Victims of Human Trafficking (CVHT) in Pennsylvania.” The purpose of this bulletin is to inform county and state officials; public and private children, youth, and family service agencies; children’s advocacy programs; community-based domestic violence programs; rape crisis centers; and stakeholders of the federal and state statutory requirements, to ensure a multidimensional and interdisciplinary plan and approach to the identification, protection, and provision of comprehensive and coordinated services for child victims of human trafficking. This bulletin has a number of attachments, including the “Practice Guide to Serving CVHT in Pennsylvania,” which provides detailed information related to Commercial Sex Trafficking of Children, Standards of Practice for Serving CVHT, Children Who are Missing From Out-Of-Home Placement Settings, Collaboration, and Advocacy and Legal Considerations.
Questions regarding this bulletin should be directed to your OCYF Regional Office. You may also reach out to Ms. Treasure Gallagher, Human Services Program Specialist in OCYF’s Bureau of Policy, Program and Operations. If you have any further questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director Jim Sharp.
RCPA would like to congratulate Jonathan Rubin and Amy Grippi on their new positions with the Department of Human Services. We look forward to collaborating in the future, to continue improving the quality of life for our children across the Commonwealth.
(From DHS Secretary Teresa Miller)
DHS Staffing Update
I am excited to announce that Jonathan (Jon) Rubin will join the Department of Human Services as the Office of Children, Youth, and Families’ Deputy Secretary. Jon has led Bucks County’s Housing and Human Services division since 2014, overseeing the county’s child welfare agency, behavioral and developmental health programs, drug and alcohol services, mental health and developmental programs, housing services, and Area Agency on Aging. As director, Jon has focused on creating a more integrated approach to Housing and Human Services’ work, encouraging two-generation, whole-family focuses and facilitating public-private partnerships and generative program development.
Jon started his career spending 15 years with the Bucks County Children & Youth Social Services agency, beginning as a social worker and eventually serving four years as a child protective services manager. He has also worked to strengthen the child welfare system on a state level, working at the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center, providing technical assistance and training to children and youth agencies around Pennsylvania, and later with Deloitte as a senior consultant and child welfare subject matter expert, helping implement the Child Welfare Information Solution project. Jon has also worked at the national level supporting child welfare systems across the country when he served as an Organizational Effectiveness Consultant for the American Public Human Services Association.
Jon will join DHS on November 4. At that point, Amy Grippi will transition into a new role, Child Services Executive Director, in the Secretary’s Office. This role will focus on synthesizing initiatives and priorities around child services and create a stronger bridge between OCYF and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Amy will be focused on strengthening services provided to children around Pennsylvania, including our work to implement the enterprise case management system and Family First, increasing the incorporation of predictive analytics and trend analyses through improved data collection, and other initiatives.
I think this new role will be an invaluable asset to help enhance and support the work done at DHS and at the county level, and I know Amy’s skills and experience will help us do more to support children and families around Pennsylvania.
I want to thank Amy for her tireless work and leadership as OCYF’s Acting Deputy Secretary over the last few months, and I am so excited to welcome Jon to the agency. I look forward to seeing the good work that DHS and OCYF will accomplish as we move forward.
Thank you,
Secretary Teresa Miller
Research over the past twenty years has shown that certain racial and ethnic populations are overrepresented in the child welfare system. This disparate treatment and disproportionality not only affects child welfare outcomes, but also outcomes in other child serving systems like education, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and health care. Therefore, it is imperative that child welfare agencies understand the impact disproportionality has on the racial and ethnic groups they serve.
The Office of Children, Youth and Families would like to announce that the Child Welfare Resource Center (CWRC) will be hosting the Diversity Task Force’s 2019 workshop, titled “Racial Disparity, Implicit Bias and White Privilege.” The workshop flyer is available here for your convenience, which lists several training dates and locations.
This workshop will provide an overview of the historical and structural causes of racial discrimination to help participants contextualize the root causes of these disparities. The workshop will also encourage participants to recognize and develop a deeper understanding of their role as professionals to work as effectively as possible with families and children of color.
If you have questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director, Jim Sharp.
After nearly a decade-long partial Title IV-E reimbursement deferral, the Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) is providing notice which advises counties that there is a successful negotiated conclusion of this deferral effective July 1, 2019! Through the efforts of OCYF and the Rate Methodology Task Force, the changes made to the budget documentation review process for FY 2019/20 were reviewed in April and determined to accurately demonstrate the allocation of costs into allowable maintenance and allowable administration categories. Additionally, the pending changes made to the web-based application to support accurate claiming of these expenses in the appropriate categories has been approved.
Please review this bulletin for next steps, including the update to the Title IV-E Validation System on July 13, 2019. For further information please contact Jim Sharp, RCPA Children’s Services Director.
The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) would like to announce that the Pennsylvania Community on Transition State Leadership Team (SLT) has announced the date for its 2019 PA Community on Transition Conference. The conference will be held at the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel Wednesday, July 17 & Thursday, July 18, 2019 and brings together a diverse community of stakeholders to share information, explore resources, and gain knowledge regarding successful secondary transition practices. The conference will offer breakout sessions and activities designed for youth and young adults, networking opportunities, hands-on assistive technology exhibits, vendor displays, and resource tables. Topics covered include Transition Planning, Secondary Education, Youth and Family Engagement, Employment, and Social and Emotional Health.
Youth and Family Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available for family members or caregivers of a transition-aged youth or young adult with a disability, and high school youth between the ages of 16–21 accompanied by an adult (family member/caregiver). Families are encouraged to apply by completing the scholarship application online on or before June 26, 2019. The scholarship will cover the cost of a double occupancy hotel room and conference registration fee. Meals and mileage are on your own. You will be informed of your acceptance by July 1, 2019. For additional information about youth/young adult family scholarships, please contact Paula Quinn. The scholarship form can be found by visiting the PaTTAN website. If a foster or adoptive youth applies for a scholarship, please email the youth’s name and date of birth.
Contact RCPA Children’s Division Director Jim Sharp with any other questions.
The Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators Association (PCYA) is hosting a training on The Family First Prevention Act (FFPA) on January 30, 2019, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the CCAP Office, located at 2789 Old Post Road, Harrisburg, PA. The Office of Children, Youth and Families will provide an overview of Family First and update attendees on Pennsylvania’s implementation plans moving forward. Providers and county staff are encouraged to attend.
The Act and the federal funding associated with it will dramatically change PA’s child welfare system. New requirements and new opportunities for use of Title IV-E and Title IV-B dollars to enhance prevention efforts will be included in the presentation.
The registration link is provided in this flyer.
If you have questions about the training, please contact:
Brian C. Bornman, Esq.
PCYA Executive Director
County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania
Phone: 717-836-4736 | Cell: 717-836-4267 | Fax: 717-526-1020
[email protected] | www.pcya.org
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