2 weeks Ago
Every day, vulnerable children and families face trauma, inconsistent decisions, limited access to essential services and support, and even threats to their safety while navigating the child welfare system. Pennsylvania’s children and families do not have an independent and empowered Office of Child Advocate to ensure that decisions are child-centered, rights are protected, complaints are heard and resolved, and bureaucratic barriers are removed. In 2019, Pennsylvania Gov.
Tom Wolf created an Office of Child Advocate by executive order. Since then, two advocates have served and resigned because the executive order did not provide for a clear scope of authority or the ability to access case-level information. It did not provide incentive, or any requirement, for county and state child welfare officials to cooperate with the advocate.
The office lacked the tools and visibility it needed to inform families of its existence and effectively serve children and families. Because the office was created by executive order it could be dissolved by any new administration at any time. Maryann McEvoy left the advocate position in January.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has not filled the vacancy. In 2024, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill ( HB 2175 ) written with the Shapiro administration to create a permanent Office of Child Advocate, but the bill was not finalized in the state Senate when the session ended Nov.
30, 2024. Members of the Senate and the House are preparing to reintroduce similar legislation but admit it will be challenging to finalize without the governor’s support. As someone whose family directly benefited from the support of the child advocate, I can say with certainty that this position is not just necessary — it could be lifesaving.
For years, we struggled to navigate the child welfare system — most recently, the Department of Human Services’ Complex Needs Planning program. We encountered conflicting information, dead ends and no clear accountability all while supporting our child through extended emergency room stays and hospitalizations for repeated mental health crises due to a lack of appropriate treatment for her. Well-intentioned people were involved, but the systems were insular and appeared designed to prioritize and protect agencies rather than our child.
We were exhausted and frustrated, unsure where to turn as we languished in crisis mode. It wasn’t until we found the Office of Child Advocate that we finally felt heard. The advocate confirmed our rights, supported us in advocating for our child, and attempted to facilitate the coordination of services to keep our child safe.
Most impactful, the advocate personally wrote our child a letter to acknowledge her concerns. Up until that point, our child had been treated like a problem to be managed or avoided. The advocate made our child feel seen and valued.
That act of compassion made a lasting impact on our family. Now that the Office of Child Advocate is vacant, many families like mine are alarmed — without a clear point of contact or protection. The vacancy and lack of clarity about whether the office will be created in law has further weakened the already fragile trust that families place in Pennsylvania’s child welfare system.
Reinstating the position is a necessary first step — but to truly protect children Pennsylvania must go further. The Office of Child Advocate must be created in statute, with clear authority to serve as a true and independent check and balance within Pennsylvania’s child welfare system. The office must be empowered to investigate complaints, identify systemic trends and failures, and recommend child-centered solutions as well as policy changes without political interference.
The advocate must have the authority to hold agencies accountable for respecting the rights of children and families, protecting their safety and well-being, and addressing any actions or failures that undermine their health, safety and overall welfare. The absence of an independent Office of Child Advocate leaves a dangerous gap in the protection of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable children and increases the likelihood of these children slipping through the cracks. Pennsylvania’s children deserve a system that prioritizes them over bureaucracy.
Families need support and clarity from the system as they strive to support their children. Reinstating and strengthening the Office of Child Advocate is more than just a policy decision — it is a moral obligation. The lives and futures of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable children depend on what happens next.
Our daughter — and our entire family – are hopeful that proven allies, like state Rep. Ann Flood, will champion the permanent creation of the Office of the Child Advocate. We also hope that Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh and other state leaders will stand with families and children.
Now is the time for Pennsylvania’s leaders to show that protecting children is more than a temporary talking point — it’s a sustained commitment to child-centered action and accountability. This is a contributed opinion column. Cherilyn Adams is a family peer support specialist and mental health advocate who lives in the Lehigh Valley.
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