News

February 26, 2008

State to reduce C&Y's license

County officials say they don’t know what downgrade to provisional status will mean.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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Luzerne County officials have been verbally notified the state plans to downgrade the county’s Children and Youth license to provisional status, according to county Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla and county Human Services Director Joe DeVizia.

Petrilla said she is still trying to obtain information about the impact of the license change. It will be discussed during a cabinet meeting this morning, she said.

A license downgrade would force the agency to undergo more frequent inspections to get into compliance.

State welfare officials say the license was still listed as regular on Monday afternoon, and the state is working with the county to correct deficiencies.

The downgrade apparently stems from a recent annual state Department of Public Welfare licensing inspection that found more than a dozen deficiencies. The department annually licenses all county child-welfare agencies.

Among the findings:

A review of five intake records revealed two cases in which children were not seen within 24 hours of reported alleged abuse. State law requires the county to investigate within 24 hours.

Three of 23 placement records reviewed by the state indicated the county did not attempt to place children with relatives after those children were removed from the home of a parent, guardian or other custodian.

State law requires that county agencies document that an attempt was made to place a child with a relative. Counties must conduct a "diligent" search for relatives, the state said.

Five of 23 placement records indicated the county did not explain a grievance procedure to children as soon as they were placed in a foster home or child care facility.

Three of five sample intake records lacked copies of certain types of notification letters to individuals suspected of abuse.

Two of 23 placement records show the county did not confirm a child’s immunization records within 60 calendar days of placement.

In its response to the findings, the county says steps have been taken to correct all deficiencies, including agency reorganization and additional training.

For example, the county says a single unit will manage reports of suspected abuse, and all after-hour reports will be reported to the on-call supervisor to ensure a 24-hour response time.

The county is developing a new policy to identify relatives of abused children to make sure every attempt is made to place the children with family.

DeVizia has said the state accepted the county’s proposals to correct deficiencies.

The county’s Children and Youth agency was downgraded to a provisional license in 1999, after intense scrutiny following the drowning of a 2 ½-year-old client, Dominique Thomas.

Commissioners at the time responded by forming a special internal committee to evaluate the agency, and the committee concluded the drowning did not result from any shortcomings by the county.

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