Lawmaker wants to do more to reunite Pa. kids with family
Child welfare advocates in Pennsylvania are asking for a bit more clarity in legislation aiming to involve family members in the process of placing and counseling children.
Rep. Dan Moul is proposing that all county child-welfare offices annually renew their search for the next of kin of kids in foster care or a county facility.
“These kids get tied up and lost in the system because some counties don’t bother to hunt for families,” said Moul, R-Adams.
His second proposal would require county case workers to meet annually or at crucial points with a child’s extended family, to make better-informed decisions about placing the child in foster care or with a relative.
Moul says he’ll address concerns raised by welfare advocates about the family conferencing measure.
He says the bill could ultimately save the state money, because the policies could lead to fewer children in foster care or government-run homes.
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