Opinion ID: 2082544
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Six Month Requirement

Text: On August 4, 1977, Child Welfare filed a petition to involuntarily terminate appellant's parental rights. After two continuances, the hearing was held on December 15, 1977, pursuant to which the court issued a final decree terminating the parental rights. Appellant argues that because he did not know of the birth of Infant Male M. until March 17, 1977, and since the petition was filed on August 4, 1977, less than six months, as required by § 311(1) of the Adoption Act, had passed and that the court of common pleas did not have subject matter jurisdiction. We do not agree. Section 311(1) of the Adoption Act provides: The rights of a parent in regard to a child may be terminated after a petition filed pursuant to section 312, and a hearing held pursuant to section 313, on the ground that: (1) The parent by conduct continuing for a period of at least six months either has evidenced a settled purpose of relinquishing parental claim to a child, or has refused or failed to perform parental duties. . . . The six-month limitation is not a jurisdictional fact which affects the power of the court of common pleas to hear this type of case, but rather is a fact which must be alleged and proved before a court with proper subject matter jurisdiction can grant the necessary relief, i.e., the involuntary termination of parental rights. We are, therefore, of the opinion that the filing of an involuntary termination petition before the six month requirement has elapsed does not affect the subject matter jurisdiction of a court of common pleas but rather goes to the ability of such competent court to grant the requested involuntary termination.