Carbon C&Y caseload doubles

It’s a tough job deciding when a child needs to be removed from a home.

But the child’s well-being must come first.

Sallianne Schatz, administrator of the Carbon County Children and Youth Services, told Carbon commissioners that the casework in her office has increased by 50 percent since 2014 when changes were made to the Child Protective Services Law as a result of the Sandusky scandal.

In 2014, the office had nine caseworkers who handled 878 general reports, 106 abuse reports, 21 new placements and 55 new open families.

In 2017, 11 caseworkers handled 1,712 general reports, 237 abuse reports, 33 new placements and 48 new open families.

“These numbers increased due to the change in the Child Protective Services Law, mandated reporting regulation, as well as increase in parent and child drug addiction to meth and heroin, lack of housing and transportation, lack of mental health services and facilities for children and adults and the parents swing from extreme discipline to not disciplining children at all and grandparents or family members needing assistance providing for children they are caring for because the parents are absent or unable to care for them,” Schatz said.

The higher number of cases is continuing in 2018 with a total of 144 abuse reports already and over 890 children seen to date.

The commissioners thanked Schatz and her staff for their dedication to helping the families and keeping the children safer.

The commissioners recognized the men and women who work in the county Children and Youth Services through a state resolution naming June 4 to 8 as Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week.

The resolution recognized the efforts of child welfare professionals serving the children of Pennsylvania.

Schatz was not available the week before due to her staff being at a training on dealing with the stress of the job.

Last week Schatz thanked the commissioners for recognizing the work the office does.

“Our mission at Carbon County Children and Youth is to protect, promote and provide for the well-being of our children,” she said. “Our job is to investigate abuse and neglect and assess children’s safety, and we do this with the intent to keep children and families together by ensuring these children are safe and happy in their homes.”