Commissioners approve child-welfare data-sharing agreement and purchase-of-service contracts for early learning and legal services

Mifflin County commissioners approved a set of child-welfare-related contracts and a data-sharing agreement that county staff said are required for state reimbursement and service continuity.

County staff presented a child welfare information system data-sharing agreement that establishes terms for disclosure and exchange of information between the state system and the county's Children and Youth Services (CYS) agency. The agreement was described as a routine annual renewal; staff noted the next term begins Oct. 1, 2025.

The board also approved purchase-of-service agreements: Summit Early Learning in Lewistown for childcare and summer-camp support (reported per-day and per-camp activity fees); a Parents as Teachers in-home parenting program provided by the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit not to exceed $146,963 for the fiscal year; and legal-services agreements with Stover McLaughlin (State College) and Jacob W. Deveny (Huntingdon) to provide attorney support to the agency at $85 per hour for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years. County staff said the legal contracts are needed for state reimbursement reporting and that multiple attorneys are used to avoid conflicts of interest in certain cases.

Commissioners moved and approved the data-sharing agreement and the purchase-of-service contracts by voice vote.

Why it matters: These approvals maintain services for children and families served by county CYS and ensure the agency complies with state reporting and reimbursement requirements.