DHS | Department of Human Services

Prevention

To make a referral or learn more about Prevention Services call 215-683-4000

The Department of Human Services is entrusted with protecting our city's children from abuse, neglect and delinquency. We are committed to ensuring the safety and well being of children and protecting them from imminent danger. As part of that mission, the Division of Community Based Prevention Services was founded to ensure that at-risk children receive the social and structural supports that will strengthen their families and allow them to thrive.

At DCBPS our services strive to address the underlying problems that lead to abuse, neglect and delinquency and to support at-risk children before
their situation leads to more intensive involvement in the DHS system. We also aim to achieve permanency and stability for children within the system and to prevent their re-entry into child protection services.

Through a network of community-based services that is responsive to the needs our city’s most vulnerable children, we help families overcome the obstacles they face in order to create a nurturing environment where their children can flourish. We make these services available in the communities where these children live, in partnership with the families and communities we serve, so they are not only accepted by, but invested in by the individuals who need them most.

We also provide seamless access to a system of voluntary supports for biological, permanent legal custodians and adoptive families – in the areas of ongoing case management, linkages to services, youth programs, school-based supports, in-home services and other services aimed at preventing entry or re-entry into child protective services.