Lebanon Co. DA investigating Children and Youth Services for allegedly endangering kids

The Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office has announced a formal investigation into the Lebanon County Children and Youth Services, with detectives looking into actions by caseworkers that might have resulted in the death or serious injuries of multiple children.

Within the past month, the Lebanon DA’s Office learned of a case in which a CYS caseworker returned a 1-year-old baby to the residence of his alleged suspected abusers. Officials said that CYS and the Lebanon County Detective Bureau had a pending case that involved allegations of child abuse, which resulted in physical injury to the baby allegedly caused by either the biological mother or her adult cousin.

“The mother and cousin lived together,” The DA’s office said in a release Oct. 29. “As the investigation progressed, Detectives updated and informed CYS of their intent to charge and that the injuries were indicative of abuse.”

Despite the pending charges, officials said that a CYS caseworker returned the baby to the mother’s residence. Within weeks, law enforcement was informed by the biological father that he believed the baby had suffered additional abuse in the mother’s care.

When police responded to the home, the mother and cousin refused to intially answer the door. According to the DA’s office, when police were finally let into the house they located the baby hidden under a pile of blankets.

“The baby presented with obvious and apparent injury to his left eye and face,” officials said in the release. “Police called for an ambulance and the baby received emergency medical care. Within 24 hours, police charged the mother and adult family member with the second instance of abuse.”

Officials did not release the name of the individuals charged in the incident, or the name of the CYS caseworker who returned the baby. Officials did not say Oct. 29 if charges were filed against the caseworker because of the incident.

The DA’s office said this was a recent example of CYS’s failure to protect children, prompting law enforcement to launch a formal investigation.

“The protection of children remains of the utmost priority,” District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said in the release. “These victims represent our most vulnerable, who are unable to fight for themselves, unable to protect themselves, and are often unable to tell authorities about their abuse. Lebanon County Children and Youth Services should serve as an additional layer of protection for victims. One child hurt or killed while in their care is too many; the instances we know about are far higher and horrific.”

The DA’s office said that police are aware of past cases where CYS returned children to unfit physical environments, and the child suffered a death or serious injury as a result. Law enforcement is also aware of a limited number of cases where caseworkers returned children to homes that contained their abuser.

“CYS often does not notify police when they transfer custody of a child-victim, even when their decision includes placing the child-victim into the residence of the suspected/known abuser,” the DA’s office said.

The Lebanon County Detectives Bureau is asking for residents’ assistance to identify other instances that evidence the following:

• Actions on behalf of CYS that returned a child under its custody to an unsafe home environment. Examples include homes without working utilities, homes with existing hoarding conditions, and/or any other unsafe physical condition.
• Actions on behalf of CYS, which returned a child under its custody to a residence that serves as the current home of the child’s abuser. The abuser could be the subject of an ongoing investigation or the subject of a filed criminal case in the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas.
• Actions on behalf of CYS that advocated for and allowed contact to occur between the suspected/charged perpetrator of abuse and the child-victim.
• Actions on behalf of CYS which tipped off a suspected perpetrator of abuse as to future police investigations and interaction.
• Any other instance wherein a citizen believes CYS knowingly placed a child at risk during its care and proceedings.

Officials alleged that police are aware of a limited number of cases where a CYS caseworker refused to let law enforcement conduct its own investigation.

“Instead, the caseworker told the suspected perpetrator the nature of the allegations and gave the suspect time to formulate a response and evade any interaction with police,” the DA’s office said.

The DA’s office added that prosecutors are aware of cases where CYS caseworkers appeared in criminal court to allegedly advocate for the modification of bail. Officials said this allowed for suspects of abuse to allegedly contact the child victim despite a pending trial.

“In those instances, LCCYS appeared before the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas and advocated before the Judge to modify the defendant’s bail and allow contact to occur between the perpetrator and child-victim,” the DA’s office said. “In each case, the District Attorney’s Office objected and cited both the child-victim’s mental stability and pending Criminal proceedings. LCCYS does not inform police of any other civil instances, such as Child Dependency Hearings, where they take similar actions and place children at risk.”

The Lebanon County District Attorney’s office did not announce Oct. 29 if any charges were filed in connection with incidents the office or law enforcement allegedly were aware of or witnessed.

County officials response

When reporters reached out to the Lebanon County Commissioners to respond to the DA’s investigation, officials sent the following statement:

“Lebanon County Children and Youth Services (CYS) faces very complicated circumstances in many of these cases. They must try and find a balance between the safety of the children and honoring their legal obligation to reunify families. Sometimes, despite best efforts and limited options, parents hurt their children. While that’s never acceptable, it is a harsh reality of humanity.

“Children and Youth Services operates under the guidelines established by the State Department of Human Services/Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF), ensuring that all decisions are made in accordance with state regulations, the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL), and federal child welfare standards. These laws are in place to guarantee that a child’s safety is at the forefront of all decision making. The details of cases are protected under confidentiality laws.

“All cases are reviewed by the state, and this case is no different. Lebanon County CYS has always maintained itself in good standing with OCYF, and continues to comply with all licensing requirements.”

The Lebanon Daily News reached out to Lebanon County CYS Administrator Erin Moyer about the DA’s investigation, but she did not respond to a request to comment as of publication.

The Lebanon County Detective Bureau asks anyone with information to contact Sgt. Todd Hirsch or Detective Timothy Fetzer at the Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office. Residents may reach the Office via telephone at 717-228-4403, fax 717-228-0389, or email at [email protected]. Any information shared with the District Attorney’s Office or Detectives will not be disclosed to LCCYS.