Welcome to the SWAN Prime Contract

Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries in partnership with Family Design Resources, administrator for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network

The Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) is a unique model of public-private collaboration whose role is to address barriers to permanency for children and to respond to the increased numbers of children needing adoption services. SWAN involves state, county and private agencies coordinating the delivery of permanency-related services for children and post-permanency services to families via a state contract administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

Providing services and support to Pennsylvania children and families

• Manages permanency service referrals from county children and youth agencies
• Contracts with private agencies to provide direct services to children and families
• Provides consultation and training for county agencies and private providers
• Delivers permanency conferences and regional meetings
• Employs paralegals in all counties to expedite permanency for children by completing legal documentation and the steps necessary to secure permanency 
• Maintains a single record data system 100,000+ families/65,000+ children to follow the journey of children and families through the permanency system
• Manages the Resource Family Registry (RFR), a registry of foster, adoptive and kinship families
• Hosts the Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry (PAIR), which allows authorized adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents to access identifying or non-identifying medical and social history information
• Hosts the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange where waiting children are matched to waiting families  
• Hosts 2 warmlines:
  • The SWAN Helpline guides families through the adoption process and connects families to post-permanency services.
  • The Legal Warmline answers permanency-related legal questions from agencies.