Child Protective Services
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) is the county's public office mandated by law to protect children from abuse and neglect and to ensure permanency for children.
Families become known to CYF through reported incidents of child abuse or neglect and other reports that are serious, but may not rise to the level of abuse as defined by the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) [23 PA CS § 6303; 55 PA Code §3490.4]
Reporting Abuse
Report cases of suspected child abuse or neglect by calling ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.
Information about reporting child abuse, what “child abuse” means, mandated reporters and how calls are screened by CYF.
Overview of Key CYF Philosophies, Practices and Procedures
Recent Changes in Child Welfare Laws
Includes changes for background checks, permanency plans, annual photographs, births of infants born exposed to illegal substances, reporting of child fatalities, reporting child abuse and the creation of Child Fatality/Near Fatality Review Teams. (Acts 33, 73, 76, 126, 146 and 179).
Intake
Descriptions of the intake process, the rights of the child, parents and family, investigation process, the assessment process, and safety factors that guide caseworkers when working with a family.
Family Services
Descriptions of services related to prevention, in-home services, Family Group Decision Making and Family-focused Solutions-based services.
Children's Court and Advocacy
Descriptions of the types of hearings and processes involved in juvenile court.
Related Publications
A Parent's Handbook Manual para Padres
Know Your Rights - A Guide for Youth in Substitute Care
by the Juvenile Law Center and KidsVoice
Home Alone - Is your child ready?
Solo en casa – ¿Estu listo tu hijo?
Pennsylvania Dependency Benchbook
A comprehensive resource, by judges for judges, that combines Pennsylvania law, organized pragmatically to allow quick and efficient use, with a series of state and national best practices that will provide judges and practitioners, from the least to most experienced, with the best possible information to support children and families safely.
Related Information
My Life: Stories from Youth in Allegheny County’s Child Welfare System
Young adults who live in foster care face many challenges, particularly as they transition from out-of-home placement to independence. Given the opportunity, youth in the child welfare system offer great insights about how their lives were shaped by the services they received and by the absence of needed services. DHS tapped into this valuable resource and created My Life.