On August 22, 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS)  released the 2023 Annual Child Protective Services Report, which provides statewide and county-level data on the efforts to protect and help children who were reported as victims of suspected abuse and neglect. The report provides a year-long look into trends in Pennsylvania’s county-administered, state-supervised child welfare system that can give context to potential opportunities to strengthen DHS’ work with county partners and further support organizations working with families to give children safe, healthy childhoods.  

DHS urges all Pennsylvanians to be aware of signs of potential abuse and to report potential child abuse or neglect to ChildLine, which is a 24/7 hotline available to anyone concerned for the safety or well-being of a child, by calling 1-800-932-0313. Mandated reporters can also report to ChildLine electronically. 

Pennsylvania’s Child Welfare System
The child welfare system in Pennsylvania is state-supervised and county-administered, with both parties playing vital roles in the protection of children. DHS, through its Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF), oversees this system.

At the state level, DHS is responsible for oversight and enforcement of laws, regulations, and policies that guide the provision of child welfare services by each of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania. This includes the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL), which defines child abuse and incidents in which Child Protective Services reports are necessary. DHS also provides funding, oversight, and technical assistance to each county children and youth agency.

Counties in Pennsylvania are responsible for all day-to-day child welfare functions. DHS licenses county agencies to provide essential child welfare operations, which includes investigations of potential abuse and neglect, case management services, foster care coordination and monitoring, and other supportive services. County children and youth agencies are responsible for staffing these operations. Counties are encouraged to coordinate between partners in health care and social services, which are essential in providing a comprehensive support system in order to meet children and families’ evolving needs.

If a county is unable to or is inadequately supporting these operations or is non-compliant with laws like the CPSL, DHS issues a six-month provisional license that requires a plan of correction and ongoing monitoring to ensure the plan is being followed; state statute and regulations prevent DHS from issuing more than four provisional licenses. After a fourth provisional, a county’s license is revoked. If a county is facing significant operational challenges, DHS will assist the county agency by providing technical assistance to help the county navigate operational challenges, pursue new techniques, and amplify best practices to help them strengthen their work, support staff dedicated to this important work, and meet our shared goals of supporting families through varying circumstances so children can grow up safe and protected. 

Report Summary   
The CPSL requires DHS to annually report to the Governor and General Assembly on child abuse in the Commonwealth. The report provides information on the efforts to protect and help children who were reported as victims of suspected abuse and neglect. In summary, DHS has seen the totals across all reporting categories stabilize following the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in reduced contact between children and mandated reporters.

In 2023, there were a total of 40,301 reports of suspected child abuse, compared to 39,093 reports in 2022. In the 2019 Annual Child Abuse, prior to Pennsylvania experiencing the impacts of the pandemic, the total number of suspected child abuse reports had been 42,252. 

The 2023 report found that:   

• There were a total of 57 substantiated fatalities in 2023, compared to 60 substantiated in 2022;   
• There were a total of 247 suspected near fatalities in 2023 compared with 236 reported in 2022.
• There were a total of 40,301 reports of suspected child abuse in 2023, as opposed to 39,093 reports in 2022.
• The percent of reports of suspected child abuse that were substantiated decreased from 12.8% in 2022 to 11.7% in 2023.

Read the full report on DHS website.

How To Report Abuse  
DHS operates ChildLine, a 24/7 hotline available to anyone concerned about the welfare of a child to report suspected child abuse; it can be reached at 1-800-932-0313. Mandated reporters can also report to ChildLine electronically. Anyone can make a report to ChildLine, and anyone who is not a mandated reporter can make a report to ChildLine anonymously. DHS encourages all Pennsylvanians to learn more about the signs of potential abuse or neglect and make a report to ChildLine if they begin to suspect abuse or neglect. Signs of potential abuse or neglect can include:   

• Numerous and/or unexplained injuries or bruises;   
• Chronic, pronounced anxiety and expressed feelings of inadequacy;   
• Flinching or an avoidance to being touched;   
• Poor impulse control;   
• Demonstrating abusive behavior or talk;   
• Cruelty to animals or others; and,   
• Fear of parent or caregiver, among others.

Every allegation of child abuse reported to ChildLine is investigated. ChildLine caseworkers are trained to collect all helpful information from anyone reporting concern for a child’s well-being and to properly refer reports to the appropriate investigating agencies for review, assessment and follow-up, if necessary. Investigating agencies can be county child welfare offices or regional DHS offices and, when appropriate, ChildLine also refers reports to local law enforcement agencies.

Pennsylvanians can learn more about the signs of potential abuse at www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov. To report suspected child abuse, call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has released the latest issue of the Positive Approaches Journal, which aims to provide the most recent research for people with mental and behavioral health challenges, intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities to help them live an everyday life. This edition focuses on trauma-informed research and the best practices that can be implemented in the most supportive ways possible. This edition of the Positive Approaches Journal features research and articles on the following:

• Data Discoveries details that while more research is needed, initial research suggest a higher prevalence of trauma among individuals with autism, which underscores the importance of trauma-informed care and resilience-building.
• The Importance of Place in Trauma-Informed Care: A Wellness Approach details how environments can play a role in trauma and how combining trauma-informed care with positive supports that focus on strengths and resilience can improve care for trauma-affected individuals. 
• Understanding Complexity: The Convergence of Disability and Trauma in Clinical Practice provides practitioners with concise guidelines on diagnosing trauma, implementing trauma-informed care, and selecting trauma-specific treatments appropriate for individuals with disabilities. 
• A Review of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Trauma Interventions details positive approaches in treating trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, with the use of expressive interventions in individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or and behavioral health challenges. 
• Key Elements of Trauma-Informed Care and Potential Misconceptions identifies key elements and potential misconceptions related to trauma-informed care.  
• Bridging Theory to Practice: Trauma Proficient Services for Youth with Autism and Developmental Disabilities highlights that children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to experience trauma than neurotypical children and details the resources available for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma.

The journal is a collaboration of DHS’ Office of Developmental Programs and Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It collects resources, observations, and advancements in mental and behavioral health in order to better serve people in their communities.

Read this edition of the Positive Approaches Journal. 

On August 13, 2024, CHIP sent the following letter to LEAs throughout the commonwealth.

Dear School Superintendent/Chief Administrator:

Pennsylvania Act 84 of 2015 requires that public and nonpublic schools receive electronic notice with general information about the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on an annual basis no later than August 15. The attached flyer was created and should be shared with every parent or guardian of every student enrolled in the local education agency (LEA) during the school year.

CHIP covers uninsured children and teens up to age 19 – and no family earns too much to qualify. With nearly 128,000 uninsured children in Pennsylvania, this is great news for families!

CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor’s visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health, and much more. CHIP covers uninsured kids who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. For many families, CHIP is free – for others, it is low cost.

Please forward the CHIP flyer to each school under your jurisdiction at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. The flyer can be sent directly through email, posted to a school website with a link distributed to students’ families, printed and distributed with other information that is being sent as caregiver packets, or prepared for students to take home. By distributing the flyer at the beginning of the school year, we help ensure that all students, including those new to your LEA and incoming kindergarten classes, receive the information about the program as soon as possible if they are in need.

The flyer and many more resources can be found on the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com, under CHIP Resources.

The CHIP program is pleased to partner with LEAs in helping families find affordable health insurance for their children. After all, healthy kids are better students!

Thank you for your assistance in helping families in need find comprehensive health insurance coverage for their children.

Sincerely,
Nicole M. Harris, Executive Director
Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance Program