Act 55 Requires Search For Relatives For Foster Kids — The Welfare Code for the 2013-14 fiscal year aims to improve outcomes for displaced children who are in foster care or otherwise being served by county Children and Youth agencies in addition to expanding the county human services block grant program, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
Act 55 of 2013 requires county social service agencies or their contracted providers to conduct ongoing efforts to locate relatives of children who have been removed from their homes and/or are accepted for services by the county Children and Youth agency. The law also expands the county human services block grant program to 10 additional Pennsylvania counties, bringing the total number of counties in the program to 30. Preference will be given to counties who had previously applied for the program but were denied.