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    Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF)

    ​Bureau of Policy, Programs and Operations

    The Bureau of Policy, Programs and Operations (BPPO) consists of four division that are responsible for planning, developing, and implementing new and revised regulations and statutes relevant to child welfare in Pennsylvania; providing policy and regulatory clarifications; providing analysis of and recommendations for proposed legislation; developing reports and publications; overseeing and managing special grants including the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), and the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program.

    Suspect Child Abuse? Report it!

    Make the Call to ChildLine

    If you suspect child abuse or neglect, call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. Mandatory reporters can report online through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) system.

    Make the Call
    Report Online

    The BPPO team also manages the Independent Living program that supports older youth transitioning from foster care into adulthood.  The BPPO team manages the development, implementation and maintenance of child welfare information technology systems including the development of a statewide child welfare information technology system.  This team also manages data requests relating to state and federal reporting.  Additionally, the responsibilities of the BPPO team includes managing the PA Child Abuse Hotline, clearance and appeal processing as well as overseeing all interstate compact transitions for you and oversees the quality assurance initiatives such as the Child and Family Service reviews.

    Divisions

    This division is responsible for evaluating and determining the need for statutory, regulatory and policy amendment through identification of gaps within the child welfare service delivery system. The division includes Program Policy Unit and the Cross Systems Policy Unit, which includes managing the development of program policy, regulations and technical assistance related to safety, permanency and well-being for children and families. Specifically, this includes:

    • Child Protective Services
    • General Protective Services
    • Foster and Kinship Care
    • Child Residential and Day Treatment Services
    • County Children and Youth Social Services Programs
    • Juvenile Justice
    • Physical and behavioral health service delivery
    • Education-related issues
    • Permanent Legal Custodianship
    • Independent Living
    • Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
    • Child Abuse Appeals
    • Medical Foster Care
    • Adoption Services

     This division promotes the development of family-centered, community-based approaches to address the needs of children, youth, families, and community that ensure child safety, promote timely permanency for children and youth and support enhanced child and family well-being. This team provides management and oversight for special grants and contracts including the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) and Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, Safe Haven, Kin Connector and Child Abuse Prevention. This division also serves as the lead for the Federal Child and Family Services Review and works closely with the University of Pittsburgh’s Child Welfare Training Program in Mechanicsburg.

      This division consists of five units. The Pa Child Abuse Hotline unit is responsible for receiving and documenting suspected child abuse referrals and transmitting these referrals to the appropriate investigating agency. The Quality Assurance and Administrative Support Unit reviews investigation outcomes for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness. The Appeals Unit receives, reviews and tracks child abuse appeals until the establishment of a final appeal decisions. The Clearance Verification Unit processes child abuse history clearances, FBI fingerprint results, the National Sex Offender Registry checks, and the Consolidated Eligibility Letter. The Interstate Compact Unit manages three compacts: The Adoption and Medical Assistance compact, the Interstate Compact for Juveniles and the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children.

        The Information and Data Management team manages various child welfare information systems including the Child Welfare Information System and is supporting the development and eventual implementation of the statewide child welfare case management system.  This team is responsible for meeting federal and state reporting mandates, responding to ad-hoc data requests and managing and submitting data to meet state and federal reporting requirements.  

        Bureau Information

        Director

        Amanda Dorris
        Health and Human Services Building
        625 Forster Street
        Harrisburg, PA 17120

          The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), which is in part comprised of the Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.