Philadelphia, March 22, 2013 - Reuniting parents suffering from substance abuse with their children is the goal of a new $3 million dollar effort launched today to coordinate services among city agencies, including the Department of Human Service (DHS). DHS is responsible for caring for the children, who in this program range from newborn to five years old. MORE »

Philadelphia, March 12, 2013 -Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has made remarkable progress in protecting the city’s most at-risk youth, according to the agency’s newly-released 2012 Annual Report. MORE »

Philadelphia, December 20, 2012 - Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by City officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC) in West Philadelphia. The PJJSC is a secure, short-term residential detention facility for youth ages 13-20 with social and educational programs which aim to steer children accused or found guilty of crimes away from further illegal conduct.....MORE »

Thursday, December 6, 2012 - A delegation of City of Philadelphia officials will next travel to Washington, D.C. early next week, December 10th and 11th, to meet with officials from The White House, the Department of Justice and delegations from the nine other cities participating in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, a program of the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). MORE »

The adoptions of 14 foster youth were finalized at a ceremony and celebration recognizing National Adoption Day and sponsored by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and Family Court....MORE »

A donation from a fifth grade class at Thomas Holme School is helping to make the Child Care Room at the Department of Human Services a more cheerful place for children entering the child welfare system...MORE »

In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Department of Human Services and Prevent Child Abuse PA (PCA PA) held a Pinwheels for Prevention rally to emphasize the ways community members can do their part to prevent child abuse and neglect....MORE »

Philadelphia, April 10, 2012 –   Mayor Michael A. Nutter signed Bill No. 120084, the SVU-DHS Co-Location Bill, which clears the way to combine members of the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit (SVU), the Department of Human Services Sexual Abuse Investigations Unit, the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance and staff from the District Attorney’s Office in a new facility located at 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue.  ...MORE »

PHILADELPHIA--The City of Philadelphia is the recipient of a four-year $765,000 Wallace Foundation grant to strengthen its efforts to provide children and youth with high-quality Out-of –School Time (OST) programs.  The funds will help improve the quality of after-school programs available to children and teens by formalizing collaboration between the municipal agencies, schools, nonprofit youth programs and other institutions vital to providing these services.  ...MORE »

Philadelphia, December 19, 2011 –  Department of Human Services Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose has been honored with a 2011 Casey Excellence in Leadership Award from the Casey Family Programs Board of Trustees.  This is the first year for the Excellence in Leadership Award, which recognizes distinguished work, exceptional leadership, and relentless dedication to the constituent group she serves and leadership in improving the child welfare system.  Commissioner Ambrose is one of four recipients of the Excellence in Leadership Award...MORE »

Philadelphia--The adoptions of 22 foster youth will be finalized at a ceremony and celebration recognizing National Adoption Day and sponsored by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and Family Court.  The adoption proceedings were followed by a celebratory lunch that featured remarks by the Honorable Kevin Dougherty, Administrative Judge of Family Court and DHS Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose as well as circus themed entertainment for the children including strutting mummers, face painting and a balloon artist... MORE »

Philadelphia, November 22, 2011 –  Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by City and School District officials, the District Attorney’s office and child welfare advocates to urge Philadelphians to report suspected sexual or physical abuse or neglect of a child.  Officials encouraged citizens to utilize City and state services as a resource and tool to report the abuse of a child. “Children deserve to feel safe and protected by the adults in their lives.  When it comes to the life or safety of a child, adults must be responsible and report child abuse,” said Mayor Nutter.  “It is never acceptable to assume that someone else will report abuse or that it is not your business to report it.  It is every Philadelphians job to make sure that this is a safe city for people of every age.  If you suspect a child is being abused, you have a duty to report it.” ... MORE »

Philadelphia, Oct 20-The 12th Annual Lights On After-school Rally was held at Thomas Paine Plaza at 4:30pm on October 20th.  The rally is part of a national event sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance involving more than 7,500 communities across the country and celebrates the after-school programs that keep kids safe, inspires them to learn and helps working families.  Aimed at urging Congress not to divert or deny federal funding for after-school programming,  the event featured a proclamation by Mayor Michael A. Nutter, youth performances and inspirational speakers... MORE »