Commissioners proclaim Child Abuse Prevention Month; children and youth director outlines caseloads, services and costs

Franklin County commissioners proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month and received a detailed briefing from Minnie Goshorn, director of the county’s Children and Youth Services, about the agency’s responsibilities, referral volumes, funding and placement costs.

Goshorn described Children and Youth Services as the county’s local public child welfare agency overseen by the Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). She summarized the agency’s mission as protecting children and preserving families through prevention, intervention, education and advocacy.

Services and limits: Goshorn told commissioners the department investigates and assesses allegations of abuse and neglect, provides in‑home supports, manages court‑ordered protective services and places children in foster care, group homes or residential settings when necessary. She emphasized statutory limits on the agency’s authority: the department cannot remove a child without a court order, cannot change custody or enforce child support, cannot arrest or charge a parent (those are law‑enforcement functions) and cannot release records without consent or a court order.

Referral and substantiation data: Goshorn said the agency handled 3,587 referrals in the most recent year; 2,393 of those were opened for investigation or assessment and 496 were categorized as child abuse referrals that required joint response, forensic interview or medical examinations. She said 38 of those cases were substantiated under applicable regulations. Goshorn attributed year‑to‑year fluctuations partly to changes in how screen‑outs were counted under state definitions.

Placement costs and funding: Goshorn reviewed funding and expense categories. She said program income accounts for about 1% of the budget, federal sources about 18%, state funding about 61% and the county local match about 20%. She outlined placement costs: foster care roughly $80 per day, residential/group homes $200–$800 per day depending on services, and she cited an example of a high‑need placement costing about $1,100 per day. She said placement costs have risen as providers add staffing and request higher rates.

Staffing and operations: Goshorn said the agency’s turnover spiked to about 38% in 2021–22 and has improved to about 20% currently; she said the department remains down five staff. She described the agency structure (intake units, ongoing/permanency units, compliance and on‑call responsibilities) and noted the use of licensed placement providers and contracted legal support for court work.

Commissioner remarks and context: A commissioner described Children and Youth Services as “the first responders for bad parenting” and noted the county’s local share of children and youth costs is substantial; the commissioner said the county’s local share is “over $3,000,000 a year, I believe.” Commissioners thanked staff for the work and asked clarifying questions about services for youth aging out of care and how parents and courts are engaged in permanency planning.

Why it matters: The briefing highlighted the county’s budgetary exposure for court‑mandated child welfare services, the operational limits of the agency, and rising placement costs that affect both children’s outcomes and county spending.

Next steps: Goshorn invited residents to contact the agency with concerns and described ChildLine as an alternate intake route when callers prefer a statewide hotline; she said the department accepts walk‑ins and has a daily screener to help determine whether a referral is needed.