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 Parental Placements

Pennsylvania conducts the following types of home studies:

Foster Care
Relative-Foster Care
Parent Care
Adoption

Custodial Parent - Reunification

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 subject to 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 Required for Placement with Paternal Relative:

Regulation 7 Priority Placement

Pennsylvania performs priority placements:

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study)

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):

Other: 3 to 6 months

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

Other: 3 to 6 months

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".

Mailing Process - Interstate Home Study

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 Records 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.

Types of Checks (Criminal & 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 Checks

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

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):

Other: 3 to 6 months

Verification of Criminal Records Results

Actual results/information contained in the Criminal Background
Signature verifying background check completed
Other, specified next

State background check staff review criminal records to determine if any convictions are prohibited offenses as per the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law.

Wait Time - (License/Certification/Approval - Education and Training)

Average Length of time it takes for a home to be licensed/approved/certified:

3-6 mos.

Length of time a license is valid before renewal required:

1 year

Pennsylvania offers classes (education and training) for placement resources' homes to become licensed/certified/approved:

Other: Each Pennsylvania local agency determines how often to offer training.