2010 Pennsylvania Code
Title 23 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS
Chapter 63 - Child Protective Services
6362 - Responsibilities of county agency for child protective services.

     § 6362.  Responsibilities of county agency for child protective
                services.
        (a)  General rule.--The county agency shall be the sole civil
     agency responsible for receiving and investigating all reports
     of child abuse made pursuant to this chapter, specifically
     including, but not limited to, reports of child abuse in
     facilities operated by the department and other public agencies,
     for the purpose of providing protective services to prevent
     further abuses to children and to provide or arrange for and
     monitor the provision of those services necessary to safeguard
     and ensure the well-being and development of the child and to
     preserve and stabilize family life wherever appropriate.
        (b)  Assumption of responsibility by department.--When the
     suspected abuse has been committed by the county agency or any
     of its agents or employees, the department shall assume the role
     of the agency with regard to the investigation and directly
     refer the child for services.
        (c)  Action by agencies for abuse by agents or employees.--
     Where suspected child abuse has occurred and an employee or
     agent of the department or the county agency or a private or
     public institution is a subject of the report, the department,
     agency or institution shall be informed of the investigation so
     that it may take appropriate action.
        (d)  Reliance on factual investigation.--An agency charged by
     this section or section 6361 (relating to organization for child
     protective services) with investigating a report of child abuse
     may rely on a factual investigation of substantially the same
     allegations by a law enforcement agency to support the agency's
     finding. This reliance shall not, however, limit the duties
     imposed by section 6368(a) (relating to investigation of
     reports).
        (e)  Risk assessment.--Each county agency shall implement a
     State-approved risk assessment process in performance of its
     duties under this subchapter.
        (f)  Weekly face-to-face contacts.--For those children
     assessed as being at high risk for abuse or neglect who are
     remaining in or returning to the home in which the abuse or
     neglect occurred, the county agency shall ensure that those
     children are seen at least once a week, either directly by a
     county agency worker or through purchase of service, until they
     are no longer assessed as being at high risk for abuse or
     neglect.
     (Dec. 16, 1994, P.L.1292, No.151; Nov. 24, 1999, P.L.542, No.50,
     eff. 60 days)

        1999 Amendment.  Act 50 added subsec. (f).
        1994 Amendment.  Act 151 amended the entire section,
     effective July 1, 1995, as to subsecs. (a), (b), (c) and (d).
     See section 10(1) of Act 151 in the appendix to this title for
     special provisions relating to the effective date of subsec.
     (e).
        Cross References.  Section 6362 is referred to in sections
     6361, 6364 of this title.