County of Adams

The mission of Adams County Children and Youth Services is to ensure that each child in Adams County has a safe and permanent home.

The services provided by Adams County Children and Youth Services are based on the following historical core beliefs:

• The role of child welfare is to protect children and to preserve and stabilize the family unit, however it defines itself.
• Children are entitled to a safe, nurturing and stable environment.
• Children do best in their own families.
• It is a parent's right to raise children according to their own value system, providing the child's physical, emotional and social needs are met.
• That government intervention is justified when the family cannot, or will not, provide for a child's basic needs.
• Prevention and education are vital to reducing the number of families at risk.

Adams County Children and Youth Services has the responsibility of ensuring that the children of Adams County are safe and receive the essentials of life. The Agency provides services to any child under the age of 18 who has been abused, neglected, or is found to be dependent.

  Services

Foster Care - Foster care is a program designed to provide a substitute family life experience for a child who needs care for a temporary or extended period. The primary goal of foster care is to reunite families or to ensure that the child will leave foster care for a permanent placement. Foster care is founded on the premise that all children have the right to physical care and educational and emotional nurturance. Please note that the foster home approval process is extensive and follows Pennsylvania State regulations. This is done to ensure the safety of the children who may eventually be placed in the home.  For more information, or to inquire about becoming a foster parent, please contact the Foster Care Program Specialists at 717-337-0110.

Placement - At times, it is necessary to separate children and families in order to ensure the child's safety. The Court becomes involved in making decisions about the need for placement.  Types of placements include foster homes, emergency shelters, group homes and residential facilities.

Protective - Once a family has become involved with Children and Youth Services, a Service Plan is developed to help the family reach its desired goals. This plan may include referral services for counseling, support groups, training or evaluation. 

Independent Living (IL) Services - The goal of IL is to empower youth to reach their full potential.  The mission is to engage youth in services and to offer support and resources to improve their success and locate permanent connections as they transition to adulthood.

Adams County Children and Youth Services (ACCYS) offers IL services to youth who are Chafee eligible when they turn 16 years of age.  Eligibility includes youth who are adjudicated dependent, dependent & delinquent or delinquent with share case management and who are in a non-secure placement.  Other youth in need of services may be served as space and funding is available.

Services include a needs assessment, goal/transition planning, life skills instruction and assistance in the area of housing, education, employment, prevention and support.  Aftercare services are also offered until a youth turns 21 to continue assistance with the youth's transition to self-sufficiency.

Please contact the IL Program Specialist with questions or for more information at 717-337-0110.

Issues addressed by Children and Youth include:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Imminent Risk of abuse
• Neglect
• Truancy
• Runaway behavior
• Incorrigible behavior
• Parent-Child conflict 

 The range of services provided by Children and Youth include:

Case management and collaboration

• Information and referral
• Safety and risk assessment
• Courtesy services for other child welfare agencies
• Screening
• Investigation
• Case Management and collaboration
• Family service planning
• Integrated Children’s Services Planning (ICSP)
• Placement services
• Reunification planning
• Permanency planning
• Adoption

It is the goal of child welfare to first assure the safety of children in their own homes, to work with the family to build on their strengths and to minimize risk. We employ the least restrictive intervention necessary to assure safety. It is our practice to engage extended family and community supports. Our services are confidential and are applied with respect for all parties involved.

ACCYS DOES NOT handle custody and visitation issues between parties, unless Adams County has custody of the child.  Please refer to the Court: Self Help Forms link on the The County of Adams Homepage. 

HOW TO MAKE A REFERRAL: – Call Adams County Children and Youth Services at 717-337-0110 or contact ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.  

Do not make referrals through the website, as if it’s an emergency, it may not get through until the following day or an entire weekend.

• How do I make a report or request services?  A caseworker from Adams County Children & Youth Services is available to take new reports 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

• During regular office hours, reports may be made by calling the agency or visiting the agency office.  Office hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday.

• After hours, on weekends, and on holidays, an Agency caseworker is available to take new reports and assist with emergencies.  You may reach this on-call caseworker by calling Adam County Emergency Services, at telephone (717) 334-8101 or (717) 624-2101. Call 911 in an extreme emergency.  Emergency Services staff will contact the on-call caseworker, who will return your call immediately.   

 INFORMATION TO INCLUDE IN A REPORT

When making a report, it is helpful to have as much of the following information as possible without delaying the phone call:

ABOUT THE CHILD

Name or physical description

Age or approximate age range

Location (if different from the parent/caregiver)

Child’s school and grade

ABOUT THE PARENT OR CAREGIVER

Name or physical description

Age or approximate age range

Home address & directions to the home

Home telephone number

Place of employment

Best time to contact family

ABOUT THE SUSPECTED ABUSER

Name &physical description

Relationship to the child

Home address & directions to the home

Home telephone number

ABOUT THE SUSPECTED ABUSE/NEGLECT

Description of the injury/impairment to child

Description of the neglect situation

Concerns for the child’s immediate safety

When the incident took place

Witnesses to the incident

Where it occurred

History of prior injuries/incidents (if known)

ABOUT THE REPORTER

Relationship to the child

Actions taken (talked to parent, report to police)

Home address

Home telephone

**You may report an incident anonymously, however, it is helpful for the agency to be able to contact you for additional information, if necessary

You may be asked for additional information to help assess the urgency or seriousness of the situation.  This information may include knowledge of substance abuse, domestic violence, or other physical or behavioral concerns.  Information may also be gathered on existing services and/or agencies known to the family, as well as potential safety risks for Children and Youth Services staff responding to this report.

WHEN TO MAKE REPORTS TO OTHER COUNTY AGENCIES

Reports to Children & Youth Services in Pennsylvania should be made to the county agency where the concern exists.  At times, a family may reside in one county, but abuse or neglect of the child may have occurred in another county.  In such instances, the allegations of abuse or neglect may be investigated by the county where the incident(s) occurred rather than the county where the family reside