Office of Children, Youth and Families Release Special Transmittal, “Voluntary Certification as a Specialized Setting”

The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) released the OCYF Special Transmittal entitled “Voluntary Certification as a Specialized Setting.” This document was issued in August 2020 and provides the annual timelines for the application process for the specialized setting certification process. Please note that the process to become certified as a specialized setting for SFY 2022-23 begins with the submission of a Letter of Intent by September 30th.

The OCYF Bulletin #3680-20-02, 3800-20-03, entitled “Specialized Residential Settings for Children and Youth” which was released in February 2020 and provides the guidance and information regarding specialized settings certification. The components required for certification as detailed in the bulletin remain applicable; however, the timelines within the bulletin were only applicable for the application process for SFY 2020-21. Please follow the timelines as outlined in the Special Transmittal. The Provider Self-Assessment is an optional resource tool provided to assist you in the analysis of your agency’s capacity and ability to implement the requirements of specialized settings.

Timeline:

A letter of intent must be submitted by the legal entity no later than September 30th immediately prior to the SFY for which certification is requested.

The complete application packet must be submitted by the legal entity between October 1 and November 30th immediately prior to the SFY for which the certification is requested.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact re-PWFamilyFirst@pa.gov or your applicable OCYF Regional Office.