Harrisburg, Pa. — Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget adds $50 million for county children and youth services and $658,000 to enhance ChildLine staffing and training, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced.
The ChildLine funding is meant to give caseworkers more time and resources to triage calls before referring them to counties or the appropriate agency, according to DHS.
“Pennsylvania’s county children and youth agencies work hard to keep kids safe and make sure they are living in environments free from abuse, neglect, and violence. When a family falls on hard times and needs to be connected to housing or food, the child welfare system is not always set up to effectively meet those needs,” said DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “We want to do everything we can at the state level to take a more proactive and preventive approach to ensure our counties can focus on their important work to help in cases of abuse and neglect. The investments in Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget are a major step toward building a system that more effectively meets the unique needs of children and families across Pennsylvania.”
DHS framed the $50 million increase as support for counties to hold abusers accountable and keep children safe, and as part of a more preventive approach to child welfare.
Secretary Arkoosh highlighted the investments during a visit this week to the Butler County Children and Youth Agency, outside the Northcentral Pennsylvania coverage area. Butler County Children and Youth Agency Administrator Charlie Johns said the county welcomes the focus on directing agency resources to families who need intervention most.
“Butler County applauds the effort of the Shapiro Administration to focus children and youth agency resources to those who need our interventions the most,” Johns said. “We appreciate Secretary Arkoosh’s visit to our county to hear about the innovative steps we have taken locally to ensure that families who are free of abuse and neglect, but who are in need of housing and other community based preventative services, receive them.”
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