Parenting Help From Berks County Partners in Parenting
The Partners in Parenting Program, known as PIP, is run by Berks County Children & Youth Services and uses experienced foster parents to teach parents practical, hands-on parenting skills. The goals are to teach parents through personal intervention, positive role modeling and support, to help parents function effectively as individuals and parents without further intervention, and to prevent placement and facilitate reunification.
The instructors are Berks County approved foster parents with at least one year of experience actively fostering, who believe in preserving and reuniting families. They use their life experience, supplemental training and knowledge of the child welfare and foster care system to provide para-professional services to families. Instructors report to the program supervisors and to the caseworker assigned to the family, keeping detailed notes of client contacts and writing a quarterly report summarizing the services provided.
Who the program serves:
- Parents who have voluntarily agreed to, requested or been court ordered to take part.
- Parents with children in foster care with a goal of reunification, or who are in the process of reunification.
- Parents with children in the home who are at risk of placement.
- Parents who already completed traditional parent training and need hands-on, individualized instruction.
- Parents who need help with budgeting, housekeeping, child-proofing, meal planning and follow through with medical, dental and therapeutic services.
- Parents preparing for the birth of a new baby, or adjusting to the birth and care of a newborn or a baby with special needs.
Families and individuals are accepted based on their current family situation and their willingness and ability to actively take part in Partners in Parenting services.
What the teaching covers depends on each family's needs and the goals identified by the caseworker. Areas include parenting instruction, health issues, nutrition issues, safety and supervision issues, budget issues, housekeeping issues and child development education. Each family is seen 1 to 3 times per week, on average.
If you are already working with a Children & Youth caseworker, ask that caseworker about Partners in Parenting. For general questions, the program can be reached at 610-478-6700 ext. 6803. The PIP supervisors are Pam Hathaway at 610-568-2942 and Lois Good at 484-529-8275. The county website also lists the office phone as (610) 478-6700 (X6803) or (X6952).
The program is based at Berks County Children & Youth Services, 633 Court St., Reading, PA 19601, on the 9th floor of the Berks County Services Center. The building is open 8 AM to 5 PM and is closed on holidays; department hours may vary, and the page does not give separate program hours. The page does not say what the program costs.
Source: berkspa.gov/departments/children-and-youth/berks-resource…, read September 18, 2026.
The details
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Parents who are in need of assistance with budgeting, housekeeping, child-proofing, meal planning and follow through with medical/dental/therapeutic services. Parents preparing for the birth of a new baby, adjusting to the birth and care of a new born or adjusting to the birth and care of a special needs baby. Families/Individuals will be accepted for services based on their current family situation and their willingness and ability to actively participate in Partners in Parenting Services.
In Berks County Children and Youth Services’s words
We teach parents through direct and personalized intervention. Services to each family varies according to their needs and the goals identified by the caseworker. Each family is seen 1 to 3 times per week, on average.
Organization
Berks County Children and Youth Services
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from berkspa.gov/departments/children-and-youth/berks-resource…. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.