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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The state Department of Human Services has revoked the operating license for Blair County's Children, Youth & Families office while pledging to keep working with county personnel on operational improvements.
The state's first-time revocation of a county CYF office license follows Sunday's expiration of Blair County CYF's fourth provisional operating license and recognizes that state law doesn't allow a fifth provisional license.
In a news release distributed Monday, state DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh recognized that the county will be appealing the revocation to its Bureau of Hearings and Appeals. In light of that action, the state and county are to be initiating efforts to negotiate a settlement with a long-term plan to improve Blair CYF operations.
In the meantime, the county and the state -- which in December assigned an operations manager to the county -- are expected to maintain day-to-day operations, which include investigating child welfare reports and intervening when necessary.
In the news release distributed by the state, Commissioners Chairman David Kessling said the county is committed to working with the state to get the CYF license restored.
"Blair County and the Department of Human Services are working closely together as partners in this process," Kessling said. "This procedural step is necessary to allow us to move to the next phase in improving the services we are providing to the residents of this county."
The state, based on a report filed after its March 27 and 28 inspection of Blair County CYF records, showed the county has a backlog of 670 tasks in pending cases and that it failed to complete required tasks in additional cases. That same inspection also generated a lengthy list of citations in specific child welfare cases, including what the state identified as repeat citations that were identified in previous inspection reports.
The statement that Arkoosh's office distributed Monday indicated that the Shapiro administration is committed to working with Blair County and its CYF office. It also indicates that the state will continue to provide an on-site operations manager at the county CYF office, in addition to assistance from its state and regional CYF offices.
"The appointment of a state operations manager in December 2023 was extraordinary and unique to Blair CYF's circumstances, specifically the volume of overdue investigations into reports of potential abuse and neglect," according to the DHS statement issued Monday.
The DHS's statement also recognized that Blair CYF has made progress on improving the investigation process and timeliness. It also recognized that it has improved employee recruitment, training and morale.
"Blair CYF has undergone significant restructuring of their intake functions, went nine weeks in a row without any new late child protective services investigation outcomes and hired additional part-time staff to assist in beginning to work through the backlog of overdue cases," according to the DHS statement. "However, more time and continued attention to leadership, management, recruitment, retention and training is necessary to ensure Blair CYF is on a stable path forward for both the caseworkers committed to this work and the communities and families the organization services."
It was two years ago, in May 2022, when DHS issued Blair CYF its first provisional license. At that time, the county office was having a lot of difficulty finding qualified CYF caseworkers to fill vacancies created by resignations and retirements that increased after the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout.
While the county office has added some staff in recent months, it continues to advertise for caseworkers.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.