Agency Court Collaboration
Pennsylvania uses a Roundtable model to guide the flow of dependency practice and the collaboration between the Courts, the Department of Public Welfare and other relevant stakeholders.
The county level of the roundtable infrastructure is the Local Children's Roundtable, which is convened by the county dependency judge and usually co-chaired by a children and youth administrator.
The intermediate level of the roundtable system is know as "Leadership Roundtables". The 67 PA Counties are divided into eight Leadership Roundtables based on county size. The dependency judge and children and youth administrator plus one additional designee from each county sit on their respective Leadership Roundtables. The Leadership Roundtables meet two times per year (spring and fall) where like-size counties can share best practices and discuss solutions for identified barriers in the dependency system.
The highest level, known as the State Roundtable, meets once per year and is chaired by the Honorable Max Baer, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Justice. Three members from the eight Leadership Roundtables attend the State Roundtable. Additionally state and national experts in the field of child welfare are included. The group reviews statewide trends, concerns, solutions and sets the course for future Court Improvement activities.
Leadership Roundtable Structure
Roundtable 1
Counties include Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montomery, Bucks and Delaware.
Roundtable 2
Counties include Lancaster, Chester, York, Berks and Westmoreland.
Roundtable 3
Counties include Luzerne, Lehigh, Erie, Northampton and Dauphin.
Roundtable 4
Counties include Cumberland, Lackawanna, Washington, Beaver and Butler.
Roundtable 5
Counties include Cambria, Schuylkill, Fayette, Franklin/Fulton, Monroe, Centre and Blair.
Roundtable 6
Counties include Lebanon, Mercer, Lycoming, Lawrence, Northumberland, Adams and Crawford.
Roundtable 7
Counties include Indiana, Clearfield, Armstrong, Jefferson, Clarion, Venango, Warren/Forrest, Elk/Cameron, Somerset, Bedrod, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Greene and McKean.
Roundtable 8
Counties include Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Clinton, Union, Snyder, Montour, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Carbon, Sullivan, Wyoming and Columbia.