How-to guides

A bear in the yard, a fawn alone, a bat in the bedroom, a dead deer on Route 422: which agency handles each wildlife problem in Berks County.

How to find your Berks County school district from a street address, plus all 18 districts with office addresses, phones, websites and towns served.

Where to adopt a dog or cat in Berks County, what the ARL and Humane Pennsylvania charge, what to bring, and the license and rabies rules that follow.

Berks County has no animal control office. Who handles strays, dog bites, barking, cruelty and dead deer: your town, the dog warden, the ARL and PennDOT.

Who to call when a pet is lost or found in Berks County: your town's animal control provider, the 48-hour stray hold, shelter fees and the dog warden.

Who pays for weatherization, furnace and home repairs in Berks County: BCAP, LIHEAP, Met-Ed, PPL, UGI, Habitat, USDA, PHFA. Income limits, how to apply.

Who pays past-due rent and utility bills in Berks County: the county's new rental program, the state's $400 allowance, BCAP, the city and utility funds.

Down payment help for Berks County first-time homebuyers: PHFA K-FIT and Keystone loans, NHS loans in Reading, Habitat, USDA, FHLBank. Limits, contacts.

Every Berks County Section 8 and public housing list is closed. How county and Reading housing authorities rank applicants, what you pay, how to apply.

How an eviction runs in Berks County: the notice to quit, the district court hearing, the 10-day appeal, the lockout date and where tenants can get help.

Need shelter tonight in Berks County? Call 211 or walk into BCEH at 600 Penn St. Every shelter's address and phone, Code Blue, youth and veteran help.

How to report child abuse in Berks County: ChildLine, 1-800-932-0313, or the county at 610-478-6700; who must report, the 60-day investigation, appeals.

How to get free food in Berks County: Helping Harvest's pantry map, 211, what to bring, income rules, senior boxes, mobile markets, SNAP and WIC.

In a mental health crisis in Berks County, call or text 988 or the county's 24-hour crisis line, 610-379-2007. What happens next, and what a 302 means.

LIHEAP 2026-27 in Berks County: $200 to $1,000 heating grants, the income limits, crisis help within 48 hours, and how to apply at 625 Cherry Street.

How to apply for SNAP, Medicaid and TANF at the Berks County Assistance Office, 625 Cherry St., Reading: income limits, deadlines, appeals, who to call.

How to file for child custody in Berks County: the $225 fee, the forms, the Children in the Middle class, the conciliation conference, and legal help.

How to adopt in Berks County: who can adopt, the Orphans' Court filing at 633 Court Street, the $126.25 petition fee, clearances, the hearing and decree.

How to file for divorce in Berks County: where to file, the $250 fee, the 90-day and one-year no-fault routes, service, the praecipe, and legal help.

How to change your name through the Berks County court: the $250 filing fee, fingerprints, two newspaper notices, the hearing, and what to update after.