Children's Aid Society of Mercer County

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Children's Aid Society of Mercer County is dedicated to the overall well-being of children and families.

As  we observe 130 years of providing uninterrupted services to children  and families, we celebrate. We celebrate the 18-year-old young woman who  found her forever family through our Creating Foundations mentoring  program. We celebrate the adoptive families who are receiving countless  hours of support and advocacy through Children’s Aid Society’s SWAN Post Permanency services. We celebrate the children who remain in their family home  because of the intensive therapy provided to the family through Family Focus,  our family based mental health program. We celebrate the families who  leave our support groups with an increased awareness that they are not  alone in their challenges in parenting. We celebrate the children who  are lovingly cared for, who are learning new skills and who are making  lifelong friendships during their stay at our Keystone Stars 4 Star Jumpstart day care. We celebrate the individuals that are actively working  towards self-sustainability and becoming better parents as a result  their participation in Parenting, Life Skills and Anger Management  classes through our Family Life Program.  We celebrate the families that provide loving and safe environments for children placed in their homes through our Foster Care program. We celebrate the hundreds of children that we help understand  where they came from, who they are and where they are going through SWAN Child Preparation services. We celebrate the teens that experience a sense of normalcy  and acceptance from their peers when they attend the monthly Teen Group. We celebrate the children who are now safely tucked into a new car seat through our affiliation with the Safe Kids program. We celebrate all of our funding sources who continue to  believe that we are making a difference in the community. We celebrate  all of our collaborations with numerous agencies and organizations as  together, we will make a difference. We celebrate all who donate, in all ways, to our  agency so that we can continue to “go the extra mile” for the children  and families whom we serve. We celebrate our dedicated staff who  tirelessly work to help improve the lives of children and families. We  celebrate all the children, families and agency staff who have gone  before us and paved the way so that we can continue to make a  difference.  There is so much to celebrate every day in so many ways. We  celebrate!!

Deborah Judy

Executive Director

All families who live in Pennsylvania and provide permanency through adoption, whether or not they adopted a child from the child welfare system, even if the adoption was a private or international adoption, are eligible for Post-Permanency Services through the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN).

  In addition, formal kinship or permanent legal guardianship families who step forward to provide permanence to a Pennsylvania foster child are eligible for SWAN post-permanency services. These services are provided without charge through SWAN. 

The services available are case advocacy, respite and support groups, and each lasts for six months.  The focus of this program is to help the family identify their strengths, establish goals and locate community resources for ongoing support after a family completes the SWAN services.  

SWAN’s free services are for families who have provided permanency for children and youth and: 

· Are designed to support and strengthen your family 

· Are driven by the needs of your family

· Offer family education 

· Connect you to local resources 

· Are confidential

If you are someone who is interested in our Post Permanency Services, or would like to know more information, please contact Cari Prezioso at cprezioso@casmercer.org OR  Kristi Pearsall at kpearsall@casmercer.org