Source: http://www.jlc.org/fosteringconnections/legalresources
Timestamp: 2014-03-07 12:59:25
Document Index: 209287794

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 6351', '§ 6344', '§ 6351', '§ 6351', '§ 6302', '§ 6351', '§ 675', '§ 671']

Pennsylvania Fostering Connections to Success: Law and Legal Resources | Juvenile Law Center
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Pennsylvania Fostering Connections to Success: Law and Legal Resources
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Two new Pennsylvania laws will provide greater opportunities and support to older youth in foster care. Not only will these laws help provide support and guidance for youth who are not ready to be on their own at age 18, but they will also increase the number of youth who leave the system and achieve permanency by extending adoption and guardianship subsidies to age 21 for some youth.
Act 91, which amends various provisions of the Juvenile Act, expands the criteria for youth to stay in care past age 18 and also allows youth to re-enter care before turning 21 if they aged out at 18 or older. Download a PDF of the amendments to the Juvenile Act related to foster care extensions and re-entry here (or see below). Act 80, which amends provisions of the Public Welfare Code, extends guardianship and adoption subsidies to age 21 for eligible youth who enter those arrangements at age 13 or older. Download a PDF of the amended provisions of the Public Welfare Act related to the extension of guardianship and adoption subsidies to age 21 here (or see below). Federal Law
1. Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, 110 P.L. 351; 122 Stat. 3949; 2008 Enacted H.R. 6893; 110 Enacted H.R. 6893 (complete statute) 2. Older Youth Provisions of Fostering Connections
(i)(I) who is in foster care under the responsibility of the State; (II) with respect to whom an adoption assistance agreement is in effect under section 673 of this title if the child had attained 16 years of age before the agreement became effective; or (III) with respect to whom a kinship guardianship assistance agreement is in effect under section 673(d) of this title if the child has attained 16 years of age before the agreement became effective; (ii) who has attained 18 years of age; (iii) who has not attained 19, 20, or 21 years of age, as the State may elect; and (iv) who is—
(I) completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential; (II) enrolled in an institution which provides post-secondary or vocational education; (III) participating in a program or activity designed to promote, or remove barriers to, employment; (IV) employed for at least 80 hours per month; or (V) incapable of doing any of the activities described in subclauses (I) through (IV) due to a medical condition, which incapability is supported by regularly updated information in the case plan of the child.
To date, the following Program Instruction relates most directly to the older youth provisions of Fostering Connections: "Guidance on Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, Program Instruction, ACYF-CB-PI-10-11, July 9, 2010." Pennsylvania Law
"Adoption opportunity" is a subsidy which may include maintenance cost; medical, surgical, and psychological expenses; and other costs incident to the adoption. "Child" means an individual who:
1. is under the age of 18 years; or 2. is under the age of 21 years and who attained thirteen years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective and who is; (i) Completing secondary education or an equivalent credential; (ii) Enrolled in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocational education; (iii) Participating in a program actively designed to promote or remove barriers to employment; (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 words and phrases when used in this article shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "Child." An individual who:
(i) completing secondary education or an equivalent credential; (ii) enrolled in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocational education; (iii) participating in a program actively designed to promote or remove barriers to employment; (iv) employed for at least 80 hours per month; or (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. "Eligible child." A child who:
(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); (2) has lived with an eligible permanent legal custodian for at least six months, which need not be consecutive; and
(3) is a citizen or an alien lawfully residing in this Commonwealth. "Eligible permanent legal custodian." A relative or kin:
(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). "Foster parent." An individual approved by a public or private foster family care agency to provide foster family care services to a child who is temporarily separated from the child's legal family and placed in the legal custody of an agency. "Kin." An individual 21 years of age or older who is one of the following:
(1) A godparent of the child as recognized by an organized church. (2) A member of the child's tribe, nation or tribal organization.
(3) An individual with a significant, positive relationship with the child or family. "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). "Relative." An individual who is:
(1) Related within the fifth degree of consanguinity or affinity to the parent or stepparent of a child. (2) At least 21 years of age. "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. "Subsidized permanent legal custodianship agreement." A written agreement signed by the director of the county agency, or a designee, and a permanent legal custodian, that sets forth the terms and subsidy payments for a subsidized permanent legal custodianship. Section 1301.1. Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program
(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
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:
(i) completing secondary education or an equivalent credential; (ii) enrolled in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocational education; (iii) participating in a program actively designed to promote or remove barriers to employment; (iv) employed for at least 80 hours per month; or (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. 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. * * *
(iii) If the court resumes jurisdiction of the child pursuant to subsection (j), permanency hearings shall be scheduled in accordance with applicable law until court jurisdiction is terminated, but no later than when the child attains 21 years of age. (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:
(2) dependency jurisdiction was terminated: (i) within 90 days prior to the child's 18th birthday; or (ii) on or after the child's 18th birthday, but before the child turns 21 years of age. b. Case Law on Remaining in Care Past Age 18
Juvenile Court Rules on Independent Living and Transition Planning:
i. the specific independent living services or instructions that are currently being provided by the county agency or private provider;ii. the areas of need in independent living instruction that have been identified by the independent living assesment completed pursuant to the Chafee Act, 42 U.S.C. § 671 et seq.;iii. the independent living services that the child will receive prior to the next permanency review hearing;iv. whether the child is in the least restrictive, most family-like setting that will enable him to develop independent living skills;v. the efforts that have been made to develop and maintain connections with supportive adults regardless of placement type;vi. whether the child is making adequate educational progress to graduate from high school or whether the child is enrolled in another specified educational program that will assist the child in achieving self-sufficiency;vii. the job readiness services that have been provided to the child and the employment/career goals that have been established;viii. whether the child has physical health or behavioral health needs that will require continued services into adulthood; andix. the steps being taken to ensure that the youth will have stable housing or living arrangements when discharged from care.
Juvenile Court Rule 1613—Termination of Court Supervision
A. Concluding Supervision. Any party, or the court on its own motion, may move for the termination of supervision when court-ordered services from the county agency aer no longer needed and:
7) the child has been placed in another living arrangement intended to be permanent and services from the county agency are no longer needed and a hearing has been held pursuant to paragraph (E) for a child who is age eighteen or older;
1) Before the court can terminate its supervision of a child who is eighteen years of age or older, a hearing shall be held at least ninety days prior to termination.
2) Prior to the hearing, the child shall have the opportunity to make decisions about the transition plan and confer with the county agency about the details of the plan. The transition plan shall, at a minimum, include:
a. the specific plans for housing;b. a description of the child's source of income;c. the specific plans for pursuing educational or vocational training goals;d. the child’s employment goals and whether the child is employed;e. a description of the health insurance plan that the child is expected to obtain and any continued health or behavioral health needs of the child;f. a description of any available programs that would provide mentors or assistance in establishing positive adult connections;g. verification that all vital identification documents and records have been provided to the child; andh. a description of any other needed support services.