Source: https://jlc.org/fostering-connections-success-act-older-youth-extensions-pennsylvania/pennsylvania-law
Timestamp: 2019-10-18 00:10:50
Document Index: 503746605

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 772', '§ 771', '§ 1302', '§ 1301', '§ 1303', '§ 1303', '§ 6351', '§ 6344', '§ 6351', '§ 6351', '§ 6302', '§ 6351', '§ 675']

Pennsylvania Law | Juvenile Law Center
The Public Welfare Code as Amended by Act 80—Extension of Guardianship and Adoption Subsidies to Age 21
A. Extension of Adoption Subsidies
The following is the amended section of the public welfare code that now allows an extension of the adoption subsidy to age 21 for an eligible youth whose adoption was finalized when they were age 13 or older. The new sections of the law are bolded and underlined below. The amended provision is at 62 P.S. § 772. 62 P.S. § 771 et seq. is the Adoptions Opportunity Act.
Section 772. Definitions
"Adoption opportunity" is a subsidy which may include maintenance cost; medical, surgical, and psychological expenses; and other costs incident to the adoption.
is under the age of 21 years and who attained thirteen years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective and who is;
(ii) Enrolled in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocational education;
(iv) Employed for at least 80 hours per month;
(v) Incapable of doing any of the activities described in subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) due to a medical or behavioral health condition, which is supported by regularly updated information in the permanency plan of the child.
"Eligible child" means a child in the legal custody of local authorities where parental rights have been terminated pursuant to the procedure set forth in Article III of the act of July 24, 1970 (P.L. 620, No. 208), known as the "Adoption Act," and such child has been in foster placement for a period of not less than six months and where the child has been shown to be a difficult adoption placement because of a physical and/or mental handicap, emotional disturbance, or by virtue of age, sibling relationship, or ethnicity. A child in the legal custody of an agency approved by the department shall be an eligible child if the child is certified as eligible by the local authorities.
"Local authorities" means county institution districts or their successors.
B. Extension of Guardianship Subsidy Until Age 21
The following is the amended section of the public welfare code that allows extension of the kinship guardianship subsidy to age 21 for an eligible youth who entered the guardianship arrangement when the youth was age 13 or older. The new sections of the law are bolded and underlined below. The amended provision is at 62 P.S. § 1302. 62 P.S. § 1301 et seq. is in the Kinship Care Act. 62 P.S. § 1303.1 and § 1303.2 create the Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program, which to date has only been established through Bulletin.
Section 1302. Definitions
(v) incapable of doing any of the activities described in subparagraph (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) due to a medical or behavioral health condition, which is supported by regularly updated information in the permanency plan of the child.
"County agency." The county children and youth social service agency exercising the power and duties provided for in section 405 of the act of June 24, 1937 (P.L. 2017, No. 396) known as the County Institution District Law, or its successor, and supervised by the department under Article IX.
(1) has a court-ordered disposition of placement with a permanent legal custodian pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. § 6351(a)(2.1) (relating to the disposition of dependent child);
(3) who meets the requirements for employment in child-care services pursuant to 23 Pa. C.S. § 6344 (relating to information relating to prospective child-care personnel).
"Permanent legal custodian." A person to whom legal custody of the child has been given by order of a court pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. § 6351(a)(2.1) (relating to disposition of dependent child).
(1) Related within the fifth degree of consanguinity or affinity to the parent or stepparent of a child.
"Subsidized permanent legal custodianship." A court-ordered disposition of a dependent child pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. § 6351(a)(2.1) (relating to disposition of dependent child) for which the child's permanent legal custodian receives a monetary payment from the county agency pursuant to a subsidized permanent legal custodianship agreement.
Section 1301.1. Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program
(a) Establishment of Program.—The Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program is established in the department.
(b) Implementation.—The department shall establish and develop criteria and promulgate necessary regulations for county agencies to implement the Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program in accordance with the provisions of this article. The criteria and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, identification of eligible children and eligible permanent legal custodians, procedures for implementing the program and reporting requirements by county agencies.
Section 1303.2. Permanent Legal Custodianship Subsidy and Reimbursement
(a) Amount.—The amount of permanent legal custodianship subsidy for maintenance costs to a permanent legal custodian shall not exceed the monthly payment rate for foster family care in the county in which the child resides.
(b) County reimbursement.—The department shall reimburse the county agency for at least 90% of the cost of a permanent legal custodianship subsidy payment provided by a county agency in accordance with the provisions of this article, provided that the county agency complies with the requirements established by the department.
Juvenile Act Amended by Act 91—Foster Care Extensions and Re-Entry
A. Expanded Criteria for Remaining in Care Past Age 18
The following is the now-amended provision of the Juvenile Act that is the basis for youth remaining in care past age 18. The terms "treatment and instruction" have been removed and replaced with four categories of activities and an exception based on disability or impairment. The sections that have been added to the law are bolded and underlined below.
42 Pa. C.S.A. § 6302. Definitions. The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section: * * *
"Child." An individual who: * * *
(3) is under the age of 21 years and was adjudicated dependent before reaching the age of 18 years and who has requested the court to retain jurisdiction and who remains under the jurisdiction of the court as a dependent child because the court has determined that the child is:
B. Re-entry to Care and Transition Plans
The following is the now-amended provisions of the Juvenile Act that allow youth who aged out of care to re-enter before turning 21. The provisions below also place in the Juvenile Act the requirement from Fostering Connections that an acceptable transition plan be presented to the court before a youth who is between the ages of 18 and 21 can be discharged from care. For more detail on the transition plan requirement see Juvenile Court Rule 1613. The sections that have been added to the law are bolded and underlined below.
42 Pa. C.S.A. § 6351. Disposition of dependent child. * * *
(e) Permanency hearings.— * * *
(3) The court shall conduct permanency hearings as follows: * * *
(f) Matters to be determined at permanency hearing.—At each permanency hearing, a court shall determine all of the following: * * *
(8.2) That a transition plan has been presented in accordance with section 475 of the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 675 (5)(H)).
(j) Resumption of jurisdiction.—At any time prior to a child reaching 21 years of age, a child may request the court to resume dependency jurisdiction if:
b. Case Law on Remaining in Care Past Age 18
In re S.J., 906 A.2d 547 (Pa. Super. 2006)
In this case, argued by attorneys from KidsVoice, the court held that "instruction" under the Juvenile Act included attendance in post-secondary education. S.J. was therefore entitled to request to remain in case past age 18 because she was in a form of instruction: attendance in college.
Related resource: Scott Hollander, Jonathan Budd, William A. Petulla, Jennifer A. Staley, "Helping Clients Transition to Independent Living," Family Court Review, July 2007. This article details In re S.J. and the work of KidsVoice to advocate on behalf of older youth in foster care.
c. Independent Living Planning Requirements—42 Pa. C.S.A. 6351 (f)
Matters to be determined at permanency hearing: At each permanency hearing, a court shall determine all of the following: ... (8) The services needed to assist a child who is 16 years of age or older to make the transition to independent living.