Agency Court Collaboration

Pennsylvania uses a Roundtable model to guide the flow of dependency practice and the collaboration between the Courts, the Department of Human Services 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 known as “Leadership Roundtables”. The 67 PA Counties are divided into seven 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 co-chaired by the Honorable Max Baer, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice and Cathy Utz, Deputy Secretary, Department of Human Services. Two members from the seven Leadership Roundtables attend the State Roundtable. Additionally, state and national experts in the child welfare field attend. The group reviews statewide trends, concerns, solutions and sets the course for future Court Improvement activities.

Leadership Roundtable Structure