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WASHINGTON CALLS FOR POLICY COMMITTEE
HEARING ON FOSTER CARE
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Washington |
HARRISBURG,
February 20 —
Praising Allegheny County’s foster care
system, state Sen. LeAnna Washington
(D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) called for a
State Senate Democratic Policy Committee
hearing in that county to discuss how to
improve Pennsylvania’s foster care system.
The hearing will take place on Thursday,
Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. in the Gold Room of the
Allegheny County Court House in Pittsburgh.
“Allegheny County has one of the most
effective and efficient foster care systems
in the nation,” Washington said. “This
hearing will help us understand what makes
Allegheny County’s system work so we can
apply that knowledge toward crafting better
statewide foster care laws.”
The committee will focus on foster care
issues ranging from criteria for placement,
foster parent eligibility, agency
accountability and seeking ways to prevent
problems that ensue when kids age out of the
system. Officials from the county human
services office, children’s court and a
private foster care provider are expected to
testify at the two-hour hearing.
This is the second public hearing on
Pennsylvania’s foster care system. A third
hearing will take place soon in
Philadelphia.
As Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Aging
and Youth Committee, Washington has
continuously sought ways to keep children
safe. She sponsored two bills (SB 1245 and
SB 1246) that would allow children to stay
in foster care until they are 21, instead of
age 18.
The senator also introduced the Senate
version (SB 1147) of legislation that
requires FBI clearance background checks for
all individuals who are applying to be
foster or adoptive parents; anyone seeking
to work in child care services;
self-employed child care providers; and
anyone over the age of 18 living in the home
where a foster or adopted child resides. The
proposal was enacted as Act 73 of 2007. |
