Purpose
Beaver County Children and Youth Services is a state-mandated agency that was created by the County Commissioners in April 1941, to discharge their legal responsibilities on behalf of dependent, neglected and abused children. The Agency is a child-centered service dedicated to protecting children from abuse and neglect while, at the same time, working to preserve the family unit.
Agency Principles
| ● | Children have a right to be protected. |
| ● | Children have a right to be raised by their biological family. |
| ● | Parents have the right to change and/ or alter their condition in order to meet the saftey and other needs of their children. |
| ● | Children have a right to permanency. |
| ● | Children and their families have the right to expect the Agency to provide reasonable efforts to: 1) maintain family stability; 2) reunify families when separation is necessarry, and; 3) seek a permanent safe home when needed. |
Legal Notice
The County Code Act of August 9, 1955, P.L. 323 as amended, Section 2168 Provided as follows:
"The County Commissioners of any county of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth class shall have the power, and for the purpose of protecting and promoting the welfare of children and youth, it shall be their duty to provide those child welfare services designed to keep children in their own homes, prevent neglect, abuse and exploitation, help overcome problems that result in dependency, neglect or delinquency, to provide in foster family homes and child caring institutions adequate substitutive care for any child in need of care for children and youth who have been adjudicated dependent, neglected or delinquent."
The State Department of Public Welfare is also involved in the delivery system at the local level. The nature and degree of such involvement is outlined in the Public welfare Code, Act 21 of June 13, 1967. The law assigns to the State Department of Public Welfare the power and duty:
● | To assure within the Commonwealth the availability and equitable provision of adequate public welfare services for all children who need them regardless of religion, race, settlement, residence, or economic or social status. |
| ● | To make and enforce all rules and regulations necessary and appropriate to the proper accomplishment of the child welfare duties and functions vested by law in the county institutions districts, or their successors. |
| ● | All rules and regulations which the Department is authorized to make with respect to the duties and functions of the county institution districts or their successors shall be binding upon them. |
| ● | To consult with and assist each county institution district or its successor in carrying out child welfare duties and functions as authorized by law. |
Advisory Board
The Agency is governed by State and Federal Laws and Department of Public Welfare regulations. One regulation mandates that the Executive Officers appoint an Advisory Committee to review and make recommendations that pertain to the social service program and the operation of the County Children and Youth Agency. The committee is composed of concerned individuals of the community dedicated to the needs of the children of Beaver County.
The Advisory Committee meets monthly to be updated on current events at the Agency. Each year, the Beaver County Festival of Trees is sponsored by the Advisory Committee. This is the sole fund-raiser held by the Committee. In 2004, more than $25,000 was used to purchase winter coats and school shoes, provide smoke detectors for clients' homes, assist with eyeglasses, send children to a week long summer camp and other needs as deemed necessary by the Agency. In addition, the Advisory Committee provides a Foster Parent Christmas party and a summer event.
A special program has been developed to offer $1,000 scholarships to children involved with the Agency and/or graduating seniors in Beaver County planning to pursue a career in Social Work.