Overview of Key CYF Philosophies, Practices and Procedures
The following documents give a detailed overview of the philosophies, practices and procedures used by the DHS Office of Children, Youth and Families as they provide services to children and families of Allegheny County. The information is presented as general background. Because of the nature of child welfare, family situations often necessitate flexibility in the way we accomplish our goal of keeping families strong and children safe.
Overview of Key CYF Philosophies, Practices and Procedures
This document is a compilation of all the documents below. Updates are made as required on each of the individual sections. Current-as-of dates reflect the last time the section was in need of updating. Old dates do not indicate that the content is out-of-date.
Index for the Overview of Key CYF Philosophies, Practices and Procedures document
Glossary
Defines terms common to the child welfare system
Initial Reporting and CYF Response (includes ChildLine)
Describes when and how calls about suspected child abuse are received by CYF and/or ChildLine; and the process followed thereafter.
Child Abuse Definition
Provides the legal definitions of child abuse and neglect as stated in the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL).
CYF Call Screening
Describes the process followed by CYF Intake Caseworkers to determine the level of initial CYF involvement with a family.
Required Reporters (Mandated Reporters)
Provides detailed information about who is required by law to report cases of suspected child/student abuse.
Intake Procedures
Describes the assigning of a General Protective Services (GPS) or Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworker to an investigation of alleged child abuse/neglect and the Risk Assessment and/or Safety Investigation conducted thereafter.
Safety Factors
Presents an overview of the factors that are considered by the CYF caseworker during the determination of whether a child is at imminent risk of harm.
Safety Plans
Describes how safety plans are developed in cooperation with the family to mitigate the factors that pose a risk of harm to the child(ren).
Services for Client Families
Describes the broad range of available services designed to help maintain or restore family unity.
Custody Removals and Out-of-home Placements
Provides a high-level overview of the reasons for, and process of, removing a child from his/her birth family to keep him/her safe.
Permanent Placement Goals
Discribes the relative desirability of the various levels of out-of-home placement
Requirements of Background Checks for Prospective Caregivers
Reflects changes in required background checks based on 2008 legislation
Parent's / Youth Rights
Provides a brief overview of rights afforded to parents while they are involved in the child welfare system
CYF Client Confidentiality
Provides detailed information about what portions of a family's case record may/may not be shared
Family Service Plans and Child Permanency Plans
Describes the plan that is developed by the CYF caseworker in cooperation with the family to promote family safety and reunification and the plan to locate a permanent and loving home for the child, preferably with his/her birth family
Reunification
Identifies the goals that are intended to lead to reunification and the process to achieve these goals
Court Hearings
Provides a brief overview of the various hearings associated with a child being deemed 'dependent' and placed in out-of-home care
Video Conferencing for Children's Court
Presents an overview of the use of video conferencing in children's court cases
Case Closing Criteria
Describes the circumstances that lead to a case being closed by the child welfare system
Communications Policies
Describes, briefly, the policy for communicating with persons for whom spoken English is not the preferred means of communication
The Managing of Child Welfare Services in Allegheny County
Provides a brief explanation about how CYF, Juvenile Court and Shuman Center cooperate both programatically and fiscally to provide services to dependent and delinquent children and youth and their families.