Pennsylvania in-home services cuts foster care cases

Pennsylvania in-home services cuts foster care cases

About the writer

Bobby Kerlik is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 412-391-0927 or via via e-mail.

By Bobby Kerlik
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, July 23, 2010

The number of children in foster care in Allegheny County dropped by more than 1,000 in the past four years, state officials said Thursday as they detailed a new judges' guide for handling cases of abused children.

The state Supreme Court is providing the "Pennsylvania Dependency Benchbook," which will act as a guide to judges and lawyers deciding whether children should be taken from their homes or not.

The book is part of an ongoing effort by the state's high court aimed at reducing delays in placing at-risk children in permanent homes.

Since September 2006 until March 2010 the number of foster children in Allegheny County has dropped from 2,918 to 1,913, state court officials said. Marc Cherna, director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, said the number has since fallen to about 1,600.

Cherna credited in-home treatment for families -- such as counseling and help with everyday needs -- as the reason for the decline. Additionally, when children must be removed, permanent homes are being found quicker, he said.

"National studies say children do better at home. Children who are placed end up with post-traumatic stress," Cherna said. "You don't think what that means to the child."

State court officials hope the benchbook, which will be distributed to all who work in child dependency areas, will help judges make the calls in tough situations.

"New judges tend to go to those courtrooms and those cases are some of the most complex -- involving abused and neglected children," said Sandy Moore, administrator of the Office of Children and Families in the Courts. "Foster care numbers are coming down. The benchbook is one piece of that strategy."

Statewide, foster numbers have fallen from 21,395 four years ago to 15,920 in March, state officials said.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_691655.html