SMETHPORT — The 14th annual State of Child Welfare report was released this week by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, and showed that people in McKean County are working together for the safety and well-being of children.

Dan Wertz, administrator of the McKean County Department of Human Services, explained that neighborhoods where folks are watching out for each other can be important in the safety of a child.

“One of the things I think we could all take from the pandemic and public health closures, if we didn’t know it beforehand, at least we were reminded that we’re all human services,” he said, adding the department is just the part that handles the resources and funding. “They are only a part of the larger community effort to not only address the causes of child abuse, but to contribute to the necessary things to make a quality of life for all of us.”

Data showed that from 2018 to 2022, child abuse and neglect reports in McKean County decreased, but substantiated reports were up by 15.3%. General protective services for children, relating to a child’s safety or well-being, were up by 1.8% overall from 2018 to 2022, with a 44.6% increase in validated reports.

“That’s a reflection on the broader concern for children,” Wertz said. “It’s folks being interested in the safety and well-being of our kids.”

That community support is reflected, too, in the Court Appointed Special Advocates program, which is marking its 10th anniversary. “Highlighting families and neighbors caring for one another, you’ve got people from the community volunteering their time for supporting our kids, and understanding the needs and challenges of the families coming into the court system,” Wertz said. For the children, it’s more security and stability.

For foster care, the data showed fewer children being served and a 4.8% increase in children reunifying with a parent or caregiver. From 2018 to 2022, there was a 35.1% decrease in the number of children in foster care.

As for children entering foster care for the first time, there was a 52.2% drop from 2018 to 2022. The number in 2018 was 67; in 2019, no number was available; in 2020, it was 41; in 2021, it was 53; and in 2022, it was 32.

With fewer children coming in, the county also saw fewer leaving foster care. In 2018, there were 65; the number for 2019 wasn’t available; in 2020, 79 children left foster care in McKean County; in 2021, 64 left; and in 2022, 49 left.

“We’ve recommitted in our Children and Youth Services program effort to focus in on our processes and collaborate with many folks who touch the lives of children and carefully weigh those decisions” about taking a child from a home to put them in placement, Wertz said.

“Petitioning the court to seek removal or placement from their home is far from a no-brainer,” he continued. “There is a careful evaluation that has to come into play weighing the immediate risks of what’s observed in a parental home versus other very real risks that exist when children have entered placement.”

In McKean County, a child in placement moves often, the equivalent of moving once a year.

“If you could imagine what that looks like for any of us to do so, you can then envision there are potential challenges and risks that children do face in placement,” Wertz said. And that’s not even factoring into place that a removal could create further trauma. Perhaps removing a child from circumstances known only to them and to enter the care of a complete stranger (could traumatize the child). It’s a very careful weighing and balance.”

And the best place to do that is in neighborhoods, getting connected to community organizations and faith-based organizations where families support each other.

“That’s been part of that effort, that recommitment, that renewed focus,” Wertz said. And it’s working. “Connecting has at least contributed in part to what we see as that reduction of the number of children entering placement.”

He continued, “I would be remiss if I ignored that there are real challenges that still exist for our children. The causes are complex and ultimately require that collective action and collaboration from all of us in the various roles we have.”

As for CYS, “I think we’re doing pretty solid work as best we can,” he said. “Our staff is committed and engaged in hard work and heavy lifting. It really is a collective effort of our entire community, and our staff play a part in that.”