July 31, 2019
HARRISBURG — July 31, 2019 — In response to Governor Wolf’s announcement of Executive Order 2019-05 and directives intended to increase protection of vulnerable populations, Senator Lisa Baker (R-20th) and Senator Judy Schwank (D-11) said they were pleased the administration is building on legislative efforts to address deficiencies in Pennsylvania’s child welfare system. For more than a year the Senators have been working to establish the Interbranch Commission on the Child Welfare System (SB 297) to advance remedies.
“Given the unacceptable number of tragedies experienced in recent years, and the documented shortcomings in the child protection system, there is a need for the sort of initiatives the governor is advancing,” Baker said. “We also need the thorough and extensive inquiry that an independent interbranch commission can provide, so that will continue to be a priority.”
“I’m very encouraged by Gov. Wolf’s initiative in addressing the delivery of critical children’s services,” Schwank said. “We need to continue to pursue our efforts in the legislature. The children in our care must be kept safe, and I am hopeful that at the end of this process we are ensuring their better future.”
“We have heard the troubling stories and profound questions from survivors of abuse and from family and friends of those lost to abuse. These come from our districts and many places across Pennsylvania. We owe them answers in the way of effective and lasting reform of state law and practices,” they said.
Contact:
Senator Baker:
Andrew M. Seder
aseder@pasen.gov
570-226-5960
Senator Schwank:
Jamie Klein
jklein@pasenate.com
610-929-2151
May 7, 2019
Harrisburg, May 7, 2019 – Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) joins legislative members of the Task Force on Lead Exposure at a press conference today to discuss the legislative recommendations that were part of ‘Lead Exposure Risks and Response in Pennsylvania: Report of the Advisory Committee and Task Force on Lead Exposure.’ The legislative members of the task force included Senators Lisa Baker (R – Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming), Wayne Fontana (D – Allegheny), Judy Schwank (D – Berks), Pat Stefano (R – Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland) and Gene Yaw (R – Bradford/Lycoming/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Union).
“The members of the Advisory Committee and Task Force on Lead Exposure, created by Senate Resolution 33, have worked tirelessly to analyze the public health threat of lead exposure and their report underscores that lead exposure is an issue in every Pennsylvania county. We come together today, in the spirit of bipartisanship, to advance the legislative policy recommendations put forth by the Joint State Government Commission that will better protect Pennsylvania children from the risks of lead exposure and lead poisoning,” said Senator John Yudichak.
The advisory committee and task force made the following recommendations, several of which are being addressed through legislation announced at today’s press conference:
- Require universal blood screenings for children;
- Mandate inspections/certifications of child-care facilities with vulnerable populations;
- Ensure safe housing is available to families through a residential rental property certification program;
- Establish a statewide rental housing registry;
- Establish a lead abatement grant program to assist property owners in conducting lead abatement;
- Establish an interagency council to coordinate implementation of lead prevention programs and policies among the relevant state agencies;
- Require all school drinking water systems to be inspected and certified;
- Clarify plumbing system lead ban;
- Permit municipal authorities operating public drinking water system to replace lateral lead service lines;
- Require lead service line replacements and restrict partial lead water service line replacements;
- Adopt the Uniform Property Maintenance Code; and
- Provide guidance on private well construction.
Senator Lisa Baker and Senator Yudichak have introduced Senate Bill 312, which would require universal blood testing for children. Senate Bill 312 has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
“We have known for a while now how debilitating lead exposure is to the health and development of children. Recent revelations of lead tainted water in schools and homes have raised additional alarms. There is an obligation to have every child tested, in order to find out who has been affected, to monitor and treat those who have, and to locate the source of contamination so preventative measures can be taken,” said Senator Baker.
Senator Judy Schwank has introduced Senate Bill 39, which will require lead testing at child daycare programs. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to include lead testing of water, paint, soil and dust in the licensing process for child daycare programs. Senate Bill 39 has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
“My bill, SB 39, aims to protect children in day care programs by ensuring the facilities where they play and learn at the earliest ages are tested for lead,” Senator Schwank said.
Senator Gene Yaw will introduce legislation that requires all school drinking water systems to be tested for lead contamination.
“Lead contamination in schools and in public drinking water supplies is a real threat across our state and our nation,” said Senator Gene Yaw. “It’s unfortunate that schools, a place where our children spend much of their time, can have unsafe levels of lead in their water supply. The bill is one more step we can take to protect our children and school employees from potential health hazards.”
Senator Wayne Fontana plans to introduce a bill that will establish a statewide rental housing registry.
“Our fundamental job as public officials is to protect the health, safety and welfare of our citizens. With increasingly aging infrastructure throughout our Commonwealth, it’s imperative that we do all we can to help local communities on lead abatement projects,” said Senator Fontana. “We must also monitor the sources of lead contamination in our public spaces and in private homes, so that people are educated to what degree they may be exposed. As a result of the study recommendations, my legislation will establish a statewide rental housing registry that has been certified as lead free or lead safe so as to allow potential tenants to verify if housing they are considering will be safe for their families.”
Senator Pat Stefano will be introducing legislation that clarifies the plumbing system lead ban.
“Consumer education is key in preventing lead exposure. That’s why I am introducing legislation that would put educational information in the hands of consumers who may be most at risk for led exposure,” said Senator Stefano.
The Advisory Committee and Task Force on Lead Exposure was formed after legislation sponsored by Senator Yudichak, SR 33, was approved in 2017. The Joint State Government Commission released the report in April. The report is available online at http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us/
####
March 20, 2018
HARRISBURG − March 20, 2018 − Stating that child protection is a foremost government responsibility, two state Senators have launched a push to reform laws, regulations, and funding for Pennsylvania’s child welfare system. Sens. Lisa Baker, R-20th, and Judy Schwank, D-11th, who lead the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, are looking to establish an Interbranch Commission on the Child Welfare System to help create safer conditions for the thousands of children who find themselves in need of loving, nurturing homes.
For many years, the system of children and youth services has lacked the priority, the funding, and the oversight it warrants. When resources are stretched too thin and shortcomings go unaddressed, heinous acts occur and heartbreaking tragedies result.
“While we have read about several horrific cases of child abuse, the truth is too many children in supervised situations suffer death, serious injuries, or endure abysmal living conditions,” they stated. “The fault for this falls on all of us, irrespective of party or administration or political philosophy. ”
“Recent incidents of children who were abused and died in the foster care system confirm that we need to investigate our foster care and adoption system,” Schwank said. “The proposed Interbranch Commission on the Child Welfare System, which will engage all branches of government to provide recommendations on improving the care and protection of children, is a serious undertaking. We have a solemn obligation to care for those in our society who are most vulnerable – Pennsylvania’s children in foster care are perhaps the most at risk.”
A special “State of the Child” report released last year detailed some alarming deficiencies. Declaring that the “child welfare system is broken,” Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said that despite nearly $2 billion in state spending, 46 children died in 2016, while another 79 nearly perished. Of the fatalities, almost half of those children had been placed with families already known by Children and Youth Services.
“This discussion is not an indictment of the many capable, dedicated, and accomplished folks involved in the system. The problems have been evident for some time and are largely structural, rather than evidence of poor performance,” Baker said. “It is hard to escape the conclusion that the system is underfunded and overburdened.”
As part of its investigation, the commission will be asked to:
- Determine how the child welfare system failed in recent cases of death, or the near death, of children in the child welfare system;
- Restore public confidence in the protection of children and ensure they are adequately safeguarded; and
- Offer recommendations to improve the child welfare system and prevent the reoccurrence of abuse.
Baker noted that the panel is patterned after the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which did an outstanding job of investigating the horrific circumstances of the Kids-for-Cash scandal in Luzerne County, and in developing an extensive series of reform recommendations, the majority of which were implemented.
“Advocacy from our communities has not been lacking,” Baker added. “The deficiency has been in effective action, making sure that money and manpower match what we put in law and regulation, and most of all, what children at risk need from us. A commission provided the light and the leadership on juvenile justice, so we have everything to gain by applying that approach to the current crisis in child protection.”
Senate Bill 1087 earned unanimous support in the Health and Human Services Committee today and moves on to consideration by the full Senate.
-30-
