A County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) workgroup found that across 45 Pennsylvania counties, 225 children slept in county children and youth offices, hotels, or hospitals during six-month span last year.
The children sleeping in offices or hotels have been deemed complex cases, meaning they have severe behavioral challenges or re-occurring medical conditions that don’t allow them to be placed in traditional foster care settings.
Traditionally, when county agencies have a youth deemed complex, they’ll turn to service providers to take and house these kids.
However, according to county agencies, service providers sometimes turn these complex cases away.
Hoffman Homes is a service provider located in Adams County. Among other things, they take in children from across PA with behavioral issues stemming from years of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
CEO of Hoffman Homes, Rebecca Van Der Groef said service providers have known about the issue of children sleeping in county offices or hotels for years.
“It’s heartbreaking, but it is not a new story for a lot of us,” Van Der Groef said.
However, she said service providers are doing everything they can.
“One of the things that maybe people don’t know is as providers we all have exclusionary criteria,” Van Der Groef said.
Van Der Groef said Hoffman Homes won’t take children that exhibit fire setting behaviors or those that are highly assaultive or destructive.
President of Pennsylvania Council of Children Youth and Family Services, Terry Clark said when these children or teens are acting out, it’s not their fault. It’s their reaction to the abuse they’ve experienced.
“They’re acting out and that is the reason why they’re there,” Clark said.
However, that can be the reason service providers turn away children deemed complex cases.
“Sometimes they feel like they can’t manage that type of behavior,” Clark said.
Clark said providers will have to make a decision on whether or not bringing a new youth in is safe for both residents and employees.
“When we get referrals for youth, we have to weigh that risk,” Van Der Groef said. “We’ve had staff that have received concussions. We’ve had staff that have been bit.”
Clark said it’s not uncommon for a provider to be short-staffed because employees are out on leave due to injuries from youth who are attacking them.
This can make staffing and retention a challenge for service providers, directly impacting the number of kids providers can take into their program.
A lack in staffing can directly impact the number of kids providers can bring into their programs, which plays a role in the number kids sleeping in county offices or in hotels.
The CCAP report highlighted different recommendations including a no eject, no reject program run through the state.
Clark said that recommendation would mean that state would create a program and enter contracts with providers at the state level.
“If the state is running the program, there would not be the ability to reject,” Clark said.
Clark said providers are supportive of the no eject, no reject recommendation.
However, in a statement to CBS 21 news, the Department of Human Services (DHS)said this type of temporary housing is the county’s responsibility.
Providers have suggested opening up regional placement centers run by providers to relieve some of the responsibility from the state.
Clark said with this option, the state would only monitor and oversee the center, but providers would be the ones running them.
However, providers differ on how much help the state has offered.
Van Der Groef said she feels the state is doing what they can to help the issue.
“They are very open to feedback from providers,” Van Der Groef said.
Clark, on the other hand, said he wants to see some more involvement from the state.
“Even though it is a county problem, we do believe I think having the state in the seat kind of helping us drive this would help us get to a solution much quicker,” Clark said.
However, an area providers can agree on is wanting to see more funding to Children and Youth Services.
They said more funding to Children and Youth would directly increase funding to service providers, which would allow them to pay workers more and improve retention rates. The idea is that higher retention rates would increase the number of kids providers can take in, which would reduce the number of kids sleeping in offices or hotels.
In a statement to CBS 21 News, DHS said:
"Counties are also able to request additional support for children and youth programming through the needs-based budgeting process, and we encourage counties to use this process to address challenges such as this."
The department said the issue of children sleeping in county offices will be discussed at the Behavioral Health Council established by Gov. Shapiro: "We are further working with all involved parties, including counties and the General Assembly, to find short- and long-term solutions, especially prevention and diversion strategies that can help strengthen this system."
From Local 21 News
