CHILD HEALTH AND WELFARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE

POSITION IN BRIEF

Promote the health and welfare of children and youth. Support legal procedures, programs, and facilities that enable Pennsylvania agencies and communities to meet the needs of children in the juvenile justice and child welfare system.

BACKGROUND

The original position on juvenile justice was adopted in 1979 and expanded in 1985 to include provisions relating to children and youth and child welfare. In 1997, Pennsylvania Leagues concurred with a revision of the position that emphasized the necessity for services for delinquent and dependent children, especially in the areas of training for personnel dealing with juveniles, rehabilitative programs, and supervision and aftercare following the release from correctional or residential programs.

The position was retitled to include Child Health in 1991, following a survey by local Leagues of the child health needs of their communities and the services available to meet those needs. LWVPA published a handbook for advocacy for children’s health, and many local Leagues undertook specific advocacy activities in their communities. The League actively supported development and passage of the Children’s Health Plan, Act 113 of 1992.

Since 1997, LWVPA has monitored and commented on implementation of Pennsylvania’s welfare reform law, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), with particular attention to the need for helping former recipients become economically self-sufficient. Child care for working parents has been identified as a vital necessity for these families, and the League is a partner in a large and active coalition working to ensure that they have access to adequate, affordable child care. LWVPA has also monitored enrollment in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and medical assistance.

POSITION IN DETAIL

• The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania believes the juvenile justice system should provide services adequate to meet the needs of delinquent and dependent children.
• Personnel dealing with juveniles (judges, police, probation officers, childcare workers) should have training in human relations and child development. Interdisciplinary training should be encouraged to increase effective collaboration and cooperation among programs and facilities.
• Adequate residential facilities must be available to house dependent children (status offenders and neglected and abused children) separately from delinquents. Supervisory and treatment programs, including protective services and shelter care, should be available to meet the specific needs of dependent children.
• LWVPA supports rehabilitation as the primary goal of the juvenile justice system. The League supports programs that offer a broad range of services designed to hold juveniles responsible and accountable while also providing appropriate supervision, treatment, and education. These include, but are not limited to, early identification and intervention, crisis intervention centers, alternative schooling, intensive probation and detention. Personnel, procedures and facilities should be adequate to ensure that the least restrictive alternative required is used.
• Juvenile offenders should have access to due process and legal procedures including representation by counsel. Sentencing for offenses should be proportionate to the crimes committed and not more punitive than for adults.
• The League supports community-based programs emphasizing protection, prevention and treatment including effective supervision and aftercare following release from correctional or residential programs.

Some shortcomings highlighted by the 1989-91 Child Health Care study were:

• Lack of access to health services for children in some rural areas.
• Lack of adequate transportation to available services.
• Inadequate medical insurance coverage for children of low-income working families.
• Lack of access to, and under-utilization of, existing programs to protect the health of children.

LWVPA and local Leagues address these and other issues concerned with child health care under two LWVUS positions: Health Care Policy and the “access to health care” portion of Meeting Basic Human Needs, which reads:

The LWVUS believes that access to health care includes the following:

• Preventive care
• Primary care
• Maternal and child health care
• Emergency care
• Catastrophic care
• Nursing home care
• Mental health care

Health care should also include access to:

• Substance abuse programs
• Health and sex education programs
• Nutrition programs

Updated 9/1/04

Where We Stand

Government
- Election Laws
- Judiciary
- Redistricting
- Legislature
- Municipal Gov't
- Authorities
- Initiative and Referendum
- Campaign Finance
- Lobbyist Disclosure
- Open Records
- Open Meetings

Social Policy
- Education
- Gambling
- Death Penalty
- Reproductive Choice
- Transportation
- Child Health & Welfare & Juvenile Justice
- Family Issues and Laws
- Fiscal Policy
- Collective Bargaining

Natural Resources
- Land Use
- Water
- Air
- Energy
- Waste Management