Articles, page 1

• 2024 LSI County Partner Survey Results

  The SWAN prime contractor’s Research and Quality Assurance (RQA) Division successfully deployed the 2024 SWAN LSI County Partner Survey in April 2024 to a diverse group of county staff and child welfare professionals who regularly interact with LSI paralegals (LSIPs). 

  Posted on September 23rd, 2024

• Permanency Pro Strikes a Chord of Kindness, Humor and Skill

  David has spent most of his career working in the permanency unit and is one of the most genuine, thorough, and kind people one could have the privilege to know. To say David is beloved by colleagues and clients is no exaggeration. His heartfelt, skilled interventions have helped countless children secure permanency through reunification, adoption, or custodianship. 

  Posted on August 26th, 2024

• SSW Presenter Calls for Youth-Led Culture of Care

  When Chauncey Strong, MSW took the stage at the opening of the 2024 SWAN/IL Summer Statewide Meeting, he issued a challenge to everyone in the room. “Whatever you believe will be right,” he said, “because you work to the level of your belief.”

  Posted on August 23rd, 2024

• Permanency Conference is an Annual Dose of Encouragement

  The 32^nd Annual Pennsylvania Permanency Conference at the Kalahari Conference Center was the place to be June 19-21, 2024 if you are in any way connected to child welfare and permanency. Families, professionals, advocates and others gathered for three days to learn, be uplifted and make friends and memories. 

  Posted on August 23rd, 2024

• Matching Reception Provides Service and Encouragement to Families

  Something special took place at the SWAN Summer Matching Reception held in conjunction with the Annual Pennsylvania Permanency Conference on June 18, 2024 at the Kalahari Resort. Coordinated by the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange (PAE), the event was attended by more than 200 people from across the Commonwealth, including 16 families, 66 SWAN affiliate agencies, representatives from OCYF, county children and youth staff and more.

  Posted on August 23rd, 2024

• What can the SWAN Helpline do for you?

  “This is the SWAN Helpline. How may I help you?” This is a familiar opening to the phone conversations that take place each weekday between SWAN Helpline technical specialists and individuals calling to learn more about beginning or continuing with the process to become a permanency resource for children and youth in the Pennsylvania child welfare system.

  Posted on March 1st, 2024

• Spotlight on Deb Seeger, Independent Living Professional Award Recipient

  Deb Seeger’s love of interacting with people and passion for helping teens led to her current position of Independent Living Coordinator at Chester County Department of Children, Youth & Families. Deb will be celebrating her 10-year anniversary this year and  attributes her longevity in the field  to multiple factors: a position that allows for a healthy work-life balance, the feeling of being valued and respected within her agency and being surrounded by “a lot of really good people,” her co-workers at the county.  Deb, in turn, expects everyone to care about the youth with whom their agency works. 

  Posted on March 1st, 2024

• Celebrating Families and Commitments to Connection

  Having just wrapped up the holiday season, we are reminded it is a time for families to come together in celebration and connection. As a permanency network, we know that families come in all shapes and sizes and are built in an infinite number of ways. At last summer’s annual Pennsylvania Permanency Conference, we celebrated three families, each of which had a unique kinship or birth family connection..

  Posted on January 10th, 2024

• The Power of Saying Yes: How one Woman Re-defined Foster Care for Older Youth

  Valerie Crabbe remembers having a dream to adopt a little girl since she was just a little girl herself. Fast forward to the age of 38 when a recruitment flyer for foster parents caught her attention in the grocery store. 

  Posted on December 13th, 2023

• It Takes a Village…or One Collaborative Team

  United in its vision for permanency, a seven-person team was honored for its collaborative efforts in helping provide stability to a child in foster care at the June 2023 Annual Pennsylvania Permanency Conference. 

  Posted on December 13th, 2023

• Empowering Youth and Finding Connections: National Adoption Month 2023

  November has been a month of adoption recognition for nearly 40 years, beginning with a national adoption week recognition in 1984. Led by the Children’s Bureau, the theme for this year’s campaign is “Empowering Youth: Finding Points of Connection.” which focuses on giving space for youth to have agency and a say in the decisions that impact their lives, as well as embracing and affirming their racial and cultural identities as factors to ...

  Posted on November 7th, 2023

• SWAN Prime Contractor Names New Leadership

  Over the past few months, a few individuals have been named to new management positions. Voce is pleased to announce that Tammy Hendrix, DSW, MSW, LCSW is now serving as the SWAN program administrator; Tinnesha English, MSW is now serving as the SWAN technical assistance program director; Kelly Weston is now serving as the RTA division manager for the SWAN central region; and Robert Brockman is now serving as the PAE division manager.

  Tammy Hendrix ...

  Posted on November 6th, 2023

• Fostering a Family Engagement Philosophy

  Dubbed “one of the most amazing families,” Anthony and Jessica Johnston are setting the gold standard for what it means to be a foster and adoptive family. The couple was awarded a Permanent Family Recognition award at the 2023 Pennsylvania Permanency Conference for their outstanding record in providing quality care to children and families. 

  Posted on November 6th, 2023

• Bulletin Highlights Rate Changes for 2023-24

  On June 28, 2023, the Office of Children Youth and Families, Department of Human Services released  Bulletin #3350-23-01 - SWAN Rates and Programmatic Changes, which modified unit of service payment rates. The programmatic changes outlined in previous SWAN Unit of Service Payment Rates and Programmatic Changes bulletins remain in effect. SWAN affiliate agencies were notified by the SWAN prime contractor on the same day.

  Posted on August 7th, 2023

• June Events Celebrate Dedication, Gird Continued Work

  The network gathered in Northeast Pennsylvania for two back-to-back events in June—the SWAN/IL Summer Statewide Meeting (SSW) and the 31st Pennsylvania Permanency Conference—where celebrations and affirmations took center stage. Reading’s own, Dr. Veirdra Jackson, kicked off the week with her SSW keynote, which spoke to every person’s want and need to belong.

  Posted on August 7th, 2023

• Spring Quarterly Meetings Detail Family Matching Service

  Members of the network gathered around the state at six spring Quarterly Meetings held regionally throughout April. The morning presentation, Exploring the SWAN Family Matching Unit of Service, was presented by technical assistance staff in each of the regions.

  Posted on May 24th, 2023

• Equine-Assisted Therapy Helps Children in Foster Care Overcome Trauma

  One of the side benefits of sharing SWAN with the community each year at the Pennsylvania Farm Show is reconnecting with old friends in the network. This past January, foster mom and licensed clinical therapist Marcy Tocker stopped by to chat. Marcy is the founder of Grey Muzzle Manor, a senior animal rescue and hospice center offering animal-assisted therapy and a special place created by Marcy where everyone would feel they matter, belong, and are noticed. 

  Posted on May 24th, 2023

• New SWAN Program Administrator Embodies Permanency Advocacy

  Tammy Hendrix, DSW, MSW, LCSW has been named the next SWAN program administrator, succeeding Judi Damiano, who retired February 10, 2023. Tammy has served the SWAN prime contractor in various technical assistance roles since 2004 and has worked in the network since 1994. 

  Posted on April 4th, 2023

• Speaking through Advocacy and Impact: Recognizing Michelle

  Michelle Matthews doesn’t really like to talk about herself; however, her work and impact as the social work supervisor in foster care for Bethany Christian Services of Western PA tells her story for her. Michelle is a champion for both resource families and first families.

  Posted on April 4th, 2023

• SWAN Winter Statewide Meeting Featured Tools, Connection

  More than 400 members of the network gathered at the Penn Stater Conference Center on January 25^th and 26^th for valuable training, in-person networking, and a centralized matching event. The SWAN Winter Statewide Meeting returned to in-person for the first time since 2019 after being held virtually for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Posted on February 17th, 2023