ICPC State Pages

About the ICPC

The Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC) was established in 1974 and consists of members from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The AAICPC has authority under ICPC to "promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively the terms and provisions of this compact." The AAICPC obtains its Secretariat Services, as an affiliate of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).

For more information, please visit the AAICPC website.

Contact the AAICPC

American Public Human Services Association
1133 Nineteenth Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 682-0100
fax: (202) 289-6555

Web Manager: Carla Fults [cfults@aphsa.org]

Click on a state to see it's page:

ICPC STATE Pages

Pennsylvania

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern · Phone: (717) 772-5505 · Fax: (717) 425-5562

Pennsylvania Home Studies (Adoption/Foster Care/Kinship/Parent/Relative)

Types of Home Studies

Pennsylvania conducts the following types of home studies:

Foster Care
Relative-Foster Care
Parent Care
Adoption

Pennsylvania designates staff in each county/region to conduct home studies and/or process interstate placements:

Pennsylvania considers a home study as current/valid for:

Public: 1 year
Private: 3 years

Private Contract Services - Home Study

As the Sending State, Pennsylvania will pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

As the Receiving State, Pennsylvania will permit a Sending state to pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

As the Receiving State, Pennsylvania will accept/update a home study that was not originally conducted by the receiving state or a private contractor acting on behalf of the Receiving State:

Other: The licensed agency in Pennsylvania will update the home study as their own.

Adoptive Home Study

Home study for adoption conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

Prospective adoptive parents permitted to pay for a pre-adoptive home study:

Private Adoptions: Yes
Independent Adoptions: Yes

DCPS contracts for Purchase of Services with private agencies in other states:

Foster Care Home Study

Home study for foster care conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

Parent Home Study

If child has been removed from the parent, Pennsylvania requires a home study evaluation before reunification:

Pennsylvania county agency will assess the parent's home and ability to provide care. Parent is also required to obtain updated criminal and child abuse checks. FBI check requirement is at discretion of our counties, but in accordance with their policies.

Non-Custodial Parents: Placements with non-custodial parents are not covered under the ICPC if:

The following applies only to Parents from whom the child was NOT removed (See ICPC Regulation 3, #3 a)
- A court does not have evidence before it that such parent is unfit.
- Does not seek such evidence
- Does not retain jurisdiction over the child after the court transfers the child
- PA WILL accept a parent home study request on the parent from whom the child was not removed (see ICPC Regulation 3 #3 b, last sentence "This would not prohibit a sending state from requesting an ICPC")

Proof of Paternity is required:

Relative/Kinship Home Study

Home study for relatives conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

Define Relative:

Pennsylvania requires relatives to be foster care approved and/or certified.

Relatives must be licensed:

Proof of Paternity is required:

Pennsylvania considers the following types and degrees of relation as relative placements. Individuals related in the 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree and 4th degree (You may need to refer to your state's consanguinity chart or state statute to determine relations or relative status.):

Regulation 7 Priority Placement

Pennsylvania performs priority placements:

A court ordered Priority 7 conducted if the child is in a DCF shelter or foster home for substantial period of time.

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Public

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of educational training):

Other: 3 to 6 months

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

Other: 3 to 6 months

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Private

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):

60 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

60 days

Pennsylvania determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:

Date stamped in the Receiving State Local Office.
Other

Incoming mail is "date stamped" with date of receipt at ICPC office, so the date that is stamped on the request is considered our "date of receipt".

Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study

	Regular Mail	Express Mail	Overnight Mail	Electronic Mail
Send request for a home study to Receiving State

Criminal Record Checks

Pennsylvania requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

Foster Care
Relative-Foster Care
Adoption
Parent

Pennsylvania requires relatives to be foster approved and/or certified. Foster-Adopt is a two step process.

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

Pennsylvania requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

	Federal	State	Local	ANR	NR
Foster Care

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

State: 4-7 days

Local/County: Not Offered

Manually - Fingerprint Card

State: 15-30 days

Local/County: 4-7 days