Title
Authorizing the Committee on Children and Youth to hold hearings to examine policies and practices that keep children safe and support their families, including safeguards to protect children placed outside their homes through Philadelphia’s dependency system, engagement with relatives and supportive adults, coordination among agencies and service providers, and opportunities to strengthen accountability and prevent child abuse, neglect, and fatalities.
Body
WHEREAS, When a child is removed from their home and placed in the care of the child welfare system while their parents or guardians work to address the conditions that led to removal, that system assumes responsibility for the child’s safety. A family working toward a safe return should be able to trust that their child will be protected. No family should lose a child to abuse or neglect while that child is in the care of the very people entrusted to protect them; and
WHEREAS, In the first hours and days after removal, decisions about where a child will stay, whether siblings can remain together, and how the child will stay connected to school and family can shape the child’s experience in care. Relatives and other trusted adults should have a clear way to come forward and be considered for placement, and the child’s immediate health, educational, and emotional needs should be addressed during the transition; and
WHEREAS, Community Umbrella Agency caseworkers must receive the training and supervision needed to assess a child’s living conditions, recognize warning signs, and know when to seek immediate supervisory review. When a caseworker cannot verify that a child’s placement is safe, there must be a clear process for escalating the concern, deciding what protective action is needed, and confirming that someone follows through; and
WHEREAS, Provider organizations are responsible for preparing and supporting resource parents, including foster and kinship caregivers, and for training and supervisin...
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