Family Engagement Services PFS provides family engagement services to families who are actively working with the Office of Children and Youth (OCY). While Parents must be referred by a member of OCY staff, the child(ren) do not have to be in foster care placement to receive services. This program aims to help families who may have lost (or are at risk of losing) custody of their children make the necessary changes in their lives to provide safe housing and a loving family for their children. Family engagement staff will assist the parents with meeting any and all court-ordered and caseworker recommendations, provide transport to/from all necessary medical and social appointments, advocate for the family in a variety of settings and educate the parents in the management of life skills. Currently, PFS offers family engagement services in both Erie and Venango counties.
Family engagement services, which began as a component of Project First Step (PFS) in 2007, provide comprehensive, family-centered support to at-risk parents with disabilities and their children. The service links high-risk, Office of Children and Youth-involved parents who have mental health concerns, mental retardation, physical impairment, and those with a medically fragile child to needed community resources. The goal of this program is to educate and effectively engage the parents in critical community-based services necessary to address their disabilities.