CYS releases stats

HOLLIDAYSBURG - The director of Blair County Children and Youth Services said Thursday that putting kids in foster care is a big deal.

Maryanne Burger said it may not seem like it to others, but it means adjustments for the child, such as celebrating a birthday in a different home or getting used to a different school.

"Out-of-home placement is not the best for children. They deserve a home," Burger said of children taken from their parents because of neglect or abuse.

There is a push at the state level to keep children ''in their homes, in their communities and out of foster care,'' she said.

As part of an annual review of her program, Burger said CYS is doing a good job but needs to reduce the number of children placed with nonrelatives.

As of March 31, the county had 180 children in its care. More than 60 percent were with nonrelatives, compared with a state average of 46 percent.

Burger said the county intends to reunite 56 with their families, send three to live with relatives, place 71 up for adoption, put 34 in long-term foster care and permit 10 to live on their own. Six will be placed under guardianship, which means living with foster parents even though they are older than 18.

To get the job done, Burger said her agency is working with others to establish a series of unusual and relatively new programs.

One is Family Group Decision Making, a joint venture between Kids Peace Inc. and CYS.

Burger said even though a child may be part of a family with drug problems, there are other ''healthy'' family members who can play a key role in reuniting the child and family.

Multi-Systemic Therapy, a partnership among CYS, Adelphoi Village and Home Nursing, works with the entire family so the children can continue to live as part of the family unit.

Functional Family Therapy, operated by Family Intervention Crisis Services of Hollidaysburg, also works with the family to keep children in their homes.

A fourth program, in conjunction with Canal Ways of Hollidaysburg, is called Multi-Dimensional Foster Care. Through it, children in placement and their families undergo counseling, with reunification as the goal.

Even though the CYS budget will be cut from $13.2 million this year to $12.4 million in fiscal year 2008-09 and $11.6 million in 2009-10, that doesn't mean local child care will suffer, Burger said.

Programs such as Family Group Decision Making will be financed through a separate funding stream rather than through child welfare.

In addition, the state is raising its reimbursement rate for county budgets from 80 percent to 95 percent.

Burger said that means local taxpayers will be required to pay less, although she doesn't know at this point how much less.

Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.