Center for Schools and Communities Family Engagement and Supports Initiative Announces New Leadership
Shannon Downey New Director of Family Support
Oct. 14, 2025
Contact: Kelly Swanson, Communications Manager, 717-992-5964, [email protected]
CAMP HILL, Pa. — The Family Engagement and Supports Initiative recently announced Shannon Downey as its new director. In this position, Downey will work to lead and promote the field of early childhood family education, support and engagement. Her work includes serving as the state leader of the Pennsylvania Parent as Teachers (PAT) State Office, which is responsible for developing, supporting and sustaining high-quality PAT evidence-based home visiting affiliate programs. In addition, she will support the work of the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, which provides funding for child abuse prevention programs, provides technical assistance to those programs, and champions strengths‑based family engagement practices, including the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors Framework.
Downey enters this role with over a decade of experience in cross-systems leadership in child welfare and extensive experience in family engagement and evidence-based programming. Downey previously served as the intake services director for Cumberland County Children and Youth Services. In that role, she oversaw complex programs that serve vulnerable children and families, including supervising an intake team of supervisors who manage investigations and assessments, coordinating emergency response systems, and leading diversionary and prevention efforts that support positive outcomes for families and children. Her work includes extensive cross-system collaboration with schools, healthcare providers, law enforcement and state agencies.
Laura Saccente, assistant director for the Family Engagement and Supports Initiative, highlighted that “With a deep understanding of the systems and policies that shape family support, Downey brings both expertise and compassion to this role. Her leadership will be key to expanding our impact statewide and ensuring every child, family and school has access to the resources they need to thrive.”
Downey has master’s degrees in social work and in public administration, from Shippensburg University. Her passion for strengthening families and promoting child well-being through innovative, community-centered strategies aligns perfectly with her new role.
Downey transitioned into this role after the retirement of Karen Shanoski, who concluded her remarkable career with Center for Schools and Communities on July 31, 2025, after nearly 24 years of dedicated service.
For more information on Family Engagement and Supports initiatives, please visit the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund at PACTF.org, Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers (PAT) at PAParentsAsTeachers.org, and Pennsylvania Strengthening Families at PAStrengtheningFamilies.org.
About Center for Schools and Communities
Center for Schools and Communities (CSC), a division of Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of children — from birth to career — and their families. Since 1988, CSC has worked closely with education agencies, community-based organizations, and national and state departments to strengthen systems and improve outcomes for schools and communities through a range of initiatives and experiences in professional learning, support services, resource development and evaluation. CSC manages more than 20 initiatives that address the educational, health and human service needs of children, youth and families. For more information, visit CenterForSchoolsAndCommunities.org.