Pennsylvania officials have downgraded the Wayne County Office of Children and Youth Services agency’s operating license from full to provisional after identifying multiple compliance failures, including deficiencies connected to a child abuse case that resulted in the death of an infant in 2023.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services cited numerous instances in which the agency failed to properly document cases, submit required reports on time and complete mandated assessments, according to state licensing records.
Among the most serious findings was a failure to conduct a required risk assessment involving all members of a household after a report that later led to the arrest and conviction of Michael Crowl in the shaken-baby death of a 3-month-old boy in November 2023.
“In that instance, they were supposed to do a risk assessment on everybody in the household and they didn’t do that,” WVIA News reporter Borys Krawczeniuk said in an interview on Radio Catskill’s The Local Edition.
According to state requirements, agencies must conduct a risk assessment that includes “the characteristics of the parent, caregiver, household members and the primary person responsible for the welfare of a child and perpetrator.”
While the state documents do not identify the case by name, Krawczeniuk said the timing and circumstances align with the Crowl case.
Most of the other violations involved documentation and reporting requirements.
“They didn’t report to the Department of Human Services cases on time. They didn’t describe what made the placement of a child necessary at least once,” Krawczeniuk said. “Most of it was just keeping up with the paperwork.”
However, he noted that state officials appeared concerned by a pattern of recurring deficiencies.
“They’ve reached back all the way to 2024 and pointed out that this kind of thing has gone on for a while,” Krawczeniuk said.
The provisional license is effective for six months. State inspectors are expected to return before the end of November to determine whether the agency has corrected the issues and can regain full licensure.
Wayne County Commissioner Jocelyn Kramer told WVIA that staffing shortages have contributed to the agency’s challenges. According to Krawczeniuk, Kramer said workforce shortages have affected children and youth agencies across Pennsylvania since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Krawczeniuk noted that paperwork-related findings are not uncommon during state reviews but said agencies are expected to maintain full compliance.
“You don’t see them rise to the level where they downgrade a license a lot,” he said. “But if it keeps going on, then things start getting serious.”
He said accurate documentation is especially important in child welfare cases because agency decisions can be challenged through appeals and court proceedings.
“Anytime you’re placing someone, you have to defend why you’re placing them,” Krawczeniuk said. “You’re taking someone away from a parent or a caregiver, you have to have that all documented.”
Under Pennsylvania law, the Department of Human Services can issue multiple provisional licenses before taking more severe action. Krawczeniuk said agencies may receive as many as four provisional licenses before the state can revoke an agency’s license.
Kramer told WVIA that county officials expect the agency to address the deficiencies and regain full licensure this fall.
“The commissioner doesn’t think it’ll take that long,” Krawczeniuk said. “They think they’ll get this well in hand by the fall and get their full license back.”
The agency will continue operating while working to address the state’s findings ahead of its next review.
Image: Wayne County Courthouse. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has placed the Wayne County Office of Children and Youth on a provisional license after finding compliance failures, including shortcomings tied to a child death case and ongoing documentation issues.(Wayne County Government)