Berks County Children & Youth Services
Mission
The Mission of the Berks County Children and Youth Services is to protect children and assure their physical & emotional well-being as provided by law, and to preserve, strengthen & empower their families.
Report Child Abuse: Call 1-800-932-0313
If you are a mandated reporter, go to: Pennsylvania Child Welfare Portal
To learn more about protecting Pennsylvania's children from abuse and neglect, go to www.KeepKidsSafe.pa.gov
About Department / Agency Responsibility
Berks County Children and Youth Services is assigned to protect children, up to eighteen years of age, from abuse and neglect. The staff investigate all reports of child maltreatment in Berks County. For families at risk of future abuse or neglect, services and monitoring are implemented to ensure child safety and allow the children to remain in their homes. For some cases, placement outside the family's home is ordered by the court. When this happens, the parents participate in services to allow the children's safe return. For situations in which a safe return is not able to occur, the Berks County Children and Youth Services is required to request that the Court terminate parental rights. A permanent adoptive resource is located, often within the child's family and/or community.
Mandated Reporter Request for Update Form
Please follow the instructions on how to submit the request for update that is found at the top of the form. In addition, please take note to the information at the bottom that explains what Mandated Reporters have the right to know as per the Child Protective Services Law.
Announcements
Programs and Services
Learn about steps to becoming a resource parent or our Partners in Parent program today.
Berks County CYS currently contracts with Service Access and Management (S.A.M.) for truancy reduction services. Schools and Magisterial District Judges offices may make referrals to S.A.M. based on a County wide protocol.
Berks County Truancy Reduction Protocol
If you feel your child is in need of truancy services, please contact your child’s school district and request assistance.
Berks Initiative for School Attendance (BISA) Executive Summary (2011-2021) Overview
Statement of Our Core Values
Our agency is built on a shared commitment to how we work with one another and serve our mission to support the families of Berks County, and keep children safe. These core values guide our decisions, behaviors, and relationships every day:
· Collaboration We work together with our colleagues, community partners and the families we serve by sharing information, ideas, and strengths to achieve common goals. We seek input, welcome diverse perspectives, and build solutions through partnership rather than isolation.
· Compassion We recognize the humanity in each person and respond with empathy, patience, and kindness. We understand that the families we serve are often experiencing their darkest moments when we encounter them, and we must respond without judgement. We also support one another through challenges and celebrate each other’s successes, always striving to understand before being understood.
· Empowerment We trust individuals and families with the autonomy, resources, and confidence they need to be their best. We encourage growth, value initiative, and create an environment where all people feel safe to contribute, lead, and learn.
· Respect We treat every person with dignity, fairness, and courtesy. We honor differences, listen attentively, communicate constructively, and act with integrity—especially in moments of disagreement, uncertainty or crisis.
· Teamwork We hold ourselves accountable to one another, recognizing that our collective strength is greater than what any of us can achieve alone. We support each other, share responsibility, and work toward outcomes that benefit the whole.
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Notice of Nondiscrimination Policy
Berks County Children & Youth Services does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the grounds of race (to include hair type, hair texture, or hair style), color, age (40 and over), sex (to include pregnancy status, childbirth status, breastfeeding status, sex assigned at birth, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, and differences in sex development), ancestry, national origin (including Limited English Proficiency), religious creed (to include all aspects of religious observances and practice, as well as belief), disability, and retaliation in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, whether carried out by Berks County Children & Youth Services directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which Berks County Children & Youth Services arranges to carry out its programs and activities. If you have questions or need assistance, contact the Berks County Children & Youth Services Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Patricia Ferry.
If you believe that Berks County Children & Youth Services has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:
Patricia Ferry
Berks County Children & Youth Services
633 Court Street
11th Floor Services Center Reading, PA 19601
610-478-6700 ext. 6708
PFerry@berkspa.gov
You can file a grievance by mail, email, or in person. If you need help filing a grievance, the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Berks County Children & Youth Services, is available to help you. The Section 504/ADA Coordinator will ensure that the complaint is filed with the Bureau of Equal Opportunity. Any individual (and/or their guardian) who believes they have been discriminated against may file the complaint of discrimination directly with any of the below entities, instead of or in addition to BCCYS:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Human Services
Bureau of Equal Opportunity
Room 225, Health & Welfare Building
P.O. Box 2675 Harrisburg, PA 17120
Inquiries: (717) 787-1127
Email: RA-PWBEOAO@pa.gov
(Within 90 from the date of incident)
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centralized Case Management Operations
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509 HHH Bldg
Washington, D. C. 20201
Customer Response Center: (800) 368-1019
TDD: (800) 537-7697
https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints
Email: ocrcomplaint@hhs.gov
(Within 180 days from the date of incident)
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
333 Market Street, 8th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101
https://www.phrc.pa.gov/Complaints/Pages/How-to-
File-a-Complaint.aspx
Inquiries: (717) 787-4410
TTY users only: (717) 787-7279
(Within 180 days from the date of incident)
Additionally, a person can file a complaint of discrimination electronically through the OCR Complaint portal at: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf or by mail or by phone at the above.
Information and Resources
NOTICE
RETURNED CHECK FEE $50
Per Resolution 324-2025 adopted 23 October 2025, the County Treasurer will assess a $50.00 fee against any person or entity that writes a check to the County of Berks that is returned to the County due to insufficient funds.