
Harrisburg, PA – January 29, 2025 – Members of the Democratic Club have introduced a package of accounts designed to solve system problems in foster care and child protection systems in Pennsylvania. The proposed provisions prioritize the good of children, families and employees of cases through the development of justice and accessibility in substitute and adoptive services.
Sponsors of the Package Package, Senators of the State Maria Collett, Judy Schwank, Carolyn Comitta and Patty Kim, carefully worked on developing regulations that meet the urgent needs of foster care systems and child protection in Pennsylvania.
“As a lawyer who was in favor of children, I know how important it is for people entering the child protection system to access services and support they need – and that the ineffectiveness of the government does not hinder their well -being” said CollettDemocratic chairman of the aging and youth. “By establishing a children’s office and reforming the poviat licensing process, my provisions will provide our state and poviat agencies will work more and effectively to protect the most sensitive population of Pennsylvania.”
Schwank added“Care cinema is a safe alternative to foster care, which pulls the pressure on the foster care system and provides children with known, supporting living conditions. To improve foster care in Pennsylvania, make reasonable changes to remove barriers not related to the safety of members of members, which members must navigate before obtaining a kinship certificate, is a necessary and important step. “
The package contains five key bills:
- Creating a cabinet for children (Collett, Maria): It is the legislation that establishes a children’s office in order to ensure cooperation between departments and adapt priorities to improve results for children and families.
- Licensing the Poviat Child Care Agencies (Collett, Maria): Another bill of the Sen Act. Collett focuses on improving cooperation between the Department of Social Services (DHS) and poviats by reforming the licensing process to reflect federal results, such as timely examinations and better family involvement.
- Relative care support policy (Schwank, Judy): To extend the possibilities of kinship care, this law reduces barriers to relatives to become certified substitute parents and allows newborn adults aged 18 and older, look after related needy children.
- Security for LGBTQ parents and adoptive parents (Comitta, Carolyn): It is the legislation that prohibits discrimination against foster and adoptive parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity or sexual expression, providing an truthful and integrative system for everyone.
- Addressing personnel deficiencies in childcare (Kim, Patty): To solve critical shortages of workforce, this project introduces the forgiveness of a student loan for social workers.
“Thousands of children from Pennsylvania who are foster care or are waiting for adoption, deserve access to a system that works effectively, effectively and honestly in placing them in safe, supporting and loving homes”, “,” Comitta said. “Because of each other, all qualified and qualifying people deserve recognition as potential foster and adoptive parents, regardless of sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender expression or other factors.”
“Child care employees play an important role in supporting our youth, which may be in a difficult and often life -threatening situation,” Kim said. “Our case employees are a spine and often, as a last resort, in solving the problems of substitute youth safety and helping families with resources. Thanks to their ungrateful work, life changes for the better. One of my priorities is supporting employees who support our communities, and I am proud that I can be part of this critical effort to help maintain and develop children’s labor. “
The democratic club remains in his mission that every child in Pennsylvania has access to a safe and sound, stable and caring environment. These accounts refer to critical gaps in the current system, providing tools necessary to support children and families who look after them.
###
After four Senate democratic legislators presenting the legislative package in order to improve foster care systems and the protection of children, he appeared for the first time in the Senate of Democrats in Pennsylvania.