A youth shelter in Swatara Township has been ordered closed by state officials after investigators found what they described as serious safety failures at the facility.
Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services (DHS) revoked the license of Leading Youth for Excellence (LYFE), located at 911 Gibson Boulevard in Swatara Township, Dauphin County. The facility, formerly known as the Schaffner Youth Center, housed 25 children at the time of the order.
The state issued an emergency removal order requiring all children to be relocated by Monday (March 2). DHS confirmed that all 25 youth had already been moved by Thursday (February 26), though the department has not disclosed where the children were placed.
What the State Found
According to FOX43, DHS's Office of Children, Youth and Families cited "gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct" at the private facility. Specific violations included staff failing to properly report a suicide attempt, inadequate staffing ratios, allegations of improper physical force, and failure to administer prescribed medications to children in its care. The state also cited unsanitary conditions and failures related to six juveniles who left the facility without authorization earlier this month.
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The Facility Pushes Back
The facility is operated by BCL Partners, LLC, owned by attorney James Ellison. According to PennLive, Ellison and his legal team filed two appeals with the state's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals — one challenging the license revocation and another challenging the removal order. They also filed an emergency motion seeking to pause the removal order.
LYFE's attorneys argue the state's findings are based on "disputed" facts. They say the alleged suicide attempt involved a resident standing next to a sweater hanging on a door, with no signs of suicidal behavior observed. The appeal also contends that medications were administered but not properly documented, and that some violations stemmed from building maintenance issues — even though the building is owned by Dauphin County, not LYFE.
Ellison expressed concern for one student with autism whose father was reportedly told by the state to find alternative housing for his child. "I am concerned that removal will exacerbate underlying behavioral disorders and result in backsliding from progress made in treatment," Ellison wrote in the appeal.
LYFE's attorneys also called the revocation order "arbitrary and capricious," saying the state improperly treated each cited violation as an independent basis for shutting down the facility.
A History of Compliance Issues
This is not the facility's first brush with state regulators. LYFE operated under a provisional license from August 2023 through February 2025 following earlier regulatory violations. The state granted the facility a regular license in February 2025, citing "significant and continuous progress" — even though violations from an inspection conducted less than a month prior were still outstanding.
The appeals have been submitted to DHS's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals. Under state law, a decision on the appeals must be reached within 90 days.