The Pennsylvania Dependency Benchbook for Judges and Legal Professionals

The document is a comprehensive resource that combines Pennsylvania law, organized pragmatically to allow quick and efficient use, with a series of state and national best practices that will provide judges and practitioners, from the least to most experienced, with the best possible information to support children and families safely.

 Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014

Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Acknowledgments Committee Members ii Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes  Benchbook Overview xiii Ch. 1 The Charge for Pennsylvania’s Dependency System 1-1 Mission and Guiding Principles for Pennsylvania’s Dependency System 1-7 Ch. 2 The Role of Judges and Hearing Masters 2-1 2.1 Role of Judges 2-1 2.1.1 Oversight and Management of Individual Cases 2.1.2  Legal Safety Analysis for Judicial Decision-Making  2-1 2-3 2.1.3 Commitment and Leadership in System Improvement Efforts 2-6 2.1.4 Collaboration with the Child Welfare Agency and the Community 2-7 2.2. Role of the Hearing Master 2-8 Ch. 3 Jurisdiction 3-1 3.1 Overview 3-1 3.2 Dependency Jurisdiction in General 3-1 3.3 Divisional Responsibilities 3-2 3.4 Jurisdiction in Cases that Cross Borders 3-3 3.4.1 Inter-County Transfer Cases 3-4 3.4.2 Interstate Transfer 3-4 3.4.3 International Transfers 3-5 3.5 The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) 3-5 Ch. 4 Right to Legal Representation 4-1 4.1 Overview 4-1 4.2 Legal Representation in Dependency Matters in Pennsylvania 4-2 4.2.1 Judge’s Role 4-2 4.2.2 Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) 4-2 4.2.3 Legal Counsel for the Child 4-3 4.2.4 Shared Case Management/Dual Jurisdiction 4-4 4.2.5 Counsel for Parents 4-4 4.3 Pro Se Parents 4-5 4.4 County Solicitors 4-6 4.5 Waiver of Counsel 4-7 v Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014 Ch. 5 Entering the Child Welfare System/Shelter Care Hearing 5-1 5.1 Overview 5-1 5.2 Commencement of Proceedings 5-2 5.2.1 Voluntary Placement with the Agency 5-3 5.2.2 Order for Protective Custody 5-3 5.3 Shelter Care Hearing 5-3 5.4 Counsel and Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Appointments 5-8 5.4.1 Parent Counsel 5-8 5.4.2 Assignment of Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) and Child Counsel 5-8 5.5 Conducting the Hearing 5-9 5.5.1 Evidentiary Standard 5-10 5.6 Findings and Orders 5-10 5.7 Motions and Answers 5-11 Shelter Care Hearing Checklist 5-12 Shelter Care Hearing Benchcard Locating Fathers & Establishing Paternity Benchcard 5-15 5-17 Ch. 6 Adjudication 6-1 6.1 Overview 6-1 6.2 Dependency 6-1 6.3 Pre-Hearing Requirements and Considerations 6-2 6.3.1 Timing 6-2 6.3.2 Appointment of Counsel 6-3 6.3.3 Notification 6-3 6.3.4 Discovery 6-3 6.3.5 Pre-Adjudicatory Conference 6-4 6.3.6 Stipulations 6-4 6.3.7 Reports and Ex Parte Communication 6-5 6.3.8 Standing 6-5 6.4 Conducting the Hearing 6-6 6.5 Burden of Proof 6-6 6.6 Findings and Orders 6-6 Adjudicatory Hearing Checklist 6-8 Adjudicatory Hearing Benchcard 6-11 Ch. 7 Visitation 7-1 7.1 Overview 7-1 7.2 Visitation in Reunification Cases in General 7-1 7.3 Legal Requirements Governing Visitation 7-3 7.4 Sibling Visitation 7-4 7.5 Visitation Arrangements 7-4 vi Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014 7.6 Visitation and Contact with Incarcerated Parents 7.7 “Best Interests” Visitation in Non-Reunification Cases Oversight vs. Support Matrix Frequency & Duration Guide for Visitation Ch. 8 Incarcerated Parents 8.1 Overview 8.2 Engagement of Incarcerated Parents in Case Planning & Delivery of Services 8.3 Engagement & Participation of Incarcerated Parents in the Court Process 8.4 Visitation & Contact for Dependent Children of Incarcerated Parents Checklist of Suggested Questions for Hearings Involving an Incarcerated Parent Checklist for Hearings Involving an Incarcerated Parent 7-6 7-7 7-9 7-10 8-1 8-1 8-2 8-3 8-3 8-7 8-8 Ch. 9 Disposition 9-1 9.1 Overview 9-1 9.2 Preliminary Matters 9-2 9.3 Reports 9-2 9.4 Stipulations 9.5 Conduct of the Hearing 9.6 Educational Decision Makers (EDM) 9-4 9-4 9-7 9.6.1 When to Appoint an EDM 9.6.2 Persons Eligible for Appointment 9.6.3 Special Rules for Students with Disabilities 9-7 9-8 9-8 9.7 Findings and Orders 9-8 Disposition Hearing Checklist Disposition Hearing Benchcard 9-12 9-15 Ch. 10 Modification of Placement 10-1 10.1 Overview 10-1 10.2 Disposition of Motion 10-1 Ch. 11 Permanency Options 11-1 11.1 Overview 11.2 Reunification 11.3 Adoption 11.4 Permanent Legal Custodianship (PLC) 11.5 Permanent Placement with a Fit and Willing Relative 11.6 Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement 11-1 11-1 11-3 11-5 11-7 11-9 vii Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014 Ch. 12 Permanency Hearing 12-1 12.1 Overview 12-1 12.2 Timing of Permanency Hearings 12-1 12.3 Pre-Hearing Conferences 12-3 12.4 Hearing Objectives 12-4 12. 5 Conduct of the Hearing 12-7 12.5.1 Courtroom Management 12-7 12.5.2 Persons in Attendance 12-10 12.6 Matters to be Determined 12-12 12.6.1 Continuing Necessity of Placement 12-13 12.6.2 Appropriateness of Placement 12-13 12.6.3 Appropriateness, Feasibility, and Extent of Compliance with the Permanency Plan 12-14 12.6.4 Progress Toward Alleviating Circumstances Requiring Placement 12-14 12.6.5 Appropriateness and Feasibility of Current Placement Goal 12-15 12.6.6 Likely Date that Placement Goal Might Be Achieved 12-16 12.6.7 Reasonable Agency Efforts to Finalize Permanency Plan 12-16 12.6.8 Whether the Child is Safe 12-16 12.6.9 Services Needed to Help Older Youth Transition to Independence 12.6.10 Educational, Health Care, and Disability Need of the Child 12-17 12-18 12.6.11 Whether a TPR Petition Should Be Filed 12-20 12.6.12 When and How the Child Will Achieve Permanency 12-22 12.7 Admissibility of Evidence, Reports and Other Documents 12-22 12.8 Findings and Orders 12-23 Permanency Hearing Checklist/Questions 12-27 Permanency Hearing Benchcard 12-33 Ch. 13 Permanency Hearing to Consider Change of Goal (“Goal Change Hearing”) 13-1 13.1 Overview 13-1 13.2 Initiating the Goal Change 13-1 13.3 Goal Change to Adoption 13-3 13.4 Change to Other Permanency Goals 13-4 13.5 Effects of Goal Change 13-6 13.6 Evidentiary Issues in Goal Change Hearings 13-7 13.7 Findings and Orders 13-8 viii Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014 Ch. 14: Termination of Court Supervision 14.1 Overview 14.2 Timing of Termination of Supervision 14.3 Reasons for Termination of Supervision 14.4 Circumstances Requiring Special Consideration 14.4.1 Children Turning 18 14.4.2 Custody Orders 14.4.3 Shared Case Responsibility 14.4.4 Transfer of Court Jurisdiction 14.5 Findings and Orders Checklist of Suggested Questions Termination of Supervision Benchcard Ch. 15: Resumption of Jurisdiction 15.1 Overview 15.2 Method of Request and Review 15.3 Timing of Hearing 15.4 Jurisdiction 15.5 Counsel & Guardian Ad Litem Appointments 15.6 Service 15.7 Standing 15.8 Conduct of the Hearing 15.9 Burden of Proof/Evidentiary Standard 15.10 Placement & Service Options 15.11 Review Hearings 15.12 Findings and Orders 14-1 14-1 14-2 14-4 14-5 14-5 14-7 14-7 14-8 14-10 14-11 14-15 15-1 15-1 15-2 15-2 15-2 15-3 15-3 15-4 15-4 15-5 15-5 15-6 15-7 Ch. 16 Termination of Parental Rights 16-1 16.1 Overview 16-1 16.2 Jurisdiction of the Court 16-2 16.3 TPR Petitions 16-3 16.4 Scheduling of TPR Hearings 16-3 16.5 Service and Notice 16-3 16.6 Appointment of Counsel 16-5 16.7 Discovery 16-5 16.8 Continuances 16-6 16.9 TPR Methods 16-6 16.9.1 Relinquishment Under the Alternative Procedure (Consent) 16-7 16.9.2 Voluntary Relinquishment 16-8 16.9.3 Involuntary Termination 16-8 16.10 Grounds for Involuntary Termination 16-9 ix Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014 16.11 Additional Considerations in Involuntary Termination Cases 16-12 16.11.1 Parent-Child Bond Issues 16-12 16.11.2 Putative Fathers 16-14 16.11.3 Incarcerated Parents 16-14 16.12 Decree of Termination of Parental Rights 16-16 Sample Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights Colloquy 16-17 TPR Benchcard 16-19 Ch. 17 Appeals 17-1 17.1 Overview 17-1 17.2 CFT Rules at a Glance 17-1 17.3 Trial Judge’s Role in Expediting Appeals 17-2 Ch. 18 Adoption 18-1 18.1 Overview 18-1 18.2 Jurisdiction 18-2 18.3 Pre-Adoption Requirements 18-3 18.4 Adoption Hearings 18-4 18.4.1 Preliminary Matters 18-4 18.4.2 Attendance at Hearing 18-5 18.4.3 Testimony and Investigation 18-5 18.5 Adoption Orders 18-6 Sample Questions for the Adoption Hearing 18-7 Ch. 19 General Issues 19-1 19.1 Overview 19-1 19.2 Aggravated Circumstances 19-2 19.2.1 “Aggravated Circumstances” Defined 19-2 19.2.2 Procedures in Aggravated Circumstances Cases 19-3 19.2.3 Timing of Hearing 19-3 19.2.4 Effect of Determination 19.3 Family Finding 19-4 19-5 19.4 Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) 19-10 19.4.1 Benefits of FGDM 19-11 19.4.2 The FGDM Process 19-12 19.4.3 The Court’s Role 19-14 19.5 Common Pleas Court Management System (CPCMS) 19-16 19.5.1 Management Reports 19-17 19.5.2 Statistical Reports 19-18 19.6 Children in the Courtroom 19-19 19.6.1 Talking to Children in Court 19-21 19.6.2 Children as Witnesses 19-22 x Table of Contents and Best Practice Boxes Rev. 2014 19.7 Transitioning Youth 19-24 19.7.1 Independent Living Services for Transition Youth 19-25 19.7.2 Transition Planning for Older Youth 19-26 19.7.3 Educational Issues for Transitioning Youth 19-27 19.7.4 Youth Opting to Remain in Care Past Age 18 19-28 19.7.5 IL Aftercare Services 19-30 19.8 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) 19-30 19.8.1 CASA Appointments 19-30 19.8.2 CASA Duties and Responsibilities 19-31 19.8.3 CASA Resources 19-32 19.9 Planning and Funding Services: The Needs Based Plan and Budget (NBPB) 19-32 19.9.1 Best Interests and Reasonable Efforts Findings 19-33 19.9.2 County Planning and Budgeting Process 19-34 Ch. 20 Overview of Federal and State Child Welfare Legislation 20-1 20.1 Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 20-1 20.2 Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) 20-1 20.3 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) 20-2 20.4 Foster Care Independence Act (Chafee) 20-3 20.5 Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 20-4 20.6 Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) 20-6 20.7 Indian Child Welfare Act 20-7 20.8 The Multi-Ethnic Placement Act – MEPA 20-8 20.9 The Pennsylvania Adoption Act 20-9 20.9.1 Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights 20-9 20.9.2 Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights 20-10 20.9.3 Relinquishment of Parental Rights under the Alternative Procedure 20-11 20.10 The Child Protective Services Law 20-11 20.11 The Pennsylvania Juvenile Act 20-14 Benchcards Resources and References Glossary and Acronyms Bibliography xi