Court Opinion

ID: 9649239
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 14:46:18.812861+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:09.242120
License: Public Domain

NIX, Justice,
dissenting.
I cannot agree with the majority’s statement that “proof of rehabilitative aid having been offered [by the Child and Youth Services] is not a prerequisite to termination of parental rights ...” under Section 311 of the Adoption Act.1 Many parents, such as V.G. in the instant case, are victims of inadequate education, minimal financial resources and lack the maturity to fully comprehend the requirements of parenthood. Under these circumstances the social agencies have an obligation to provide intensive training and counsel-ling to insure that the extreme measure of involuntary termination of parental rights is not meted out to unfortunate and uninformed parents who otherwise have manifested a desire to preserve the parent-child relationship. See, In re I.R.A., 487 Pa. 563, 567, 410 A.2d 755, 757 (1980) (Nix, J., dissenting).
The majority errs in concluding that a requirement of rehabilitative aid prior to involuntary termination of parental rights would constitute a judicial engraftment upon the Adoption Act. A legislative mandate to the social service agencies to provide rehabilitative services for parents in *513order to preserve and stabilize family life is not foreign to this Commonwealth’s attempt to protect children and maintain family relationships. See Child Protective Services Law, Act of November 26, 1975, P.L. 438, No. 124, § 2, 11 P.S. § 2202. (Supp. 1980-81). This Court stated in In re: William L., 477 Pa. 322, 383 A.2d 1228 (1978) that statutes relating to state intervention in the parent-child relationship may be considered in pari materia.2 1 Pa. C.S.A. § 1932 (Supp.1980-81).
The legislature has clearly set forth a requirement of rehabilitative services prior to state intrusion into the parent-child relationship. Section 2216(d) of the Child Protective Services Act provides:
(d) Each child protective service shall make available among its services for the prevention and treatment of child abuse multi-disciplinary teams, instruction in education for parenthood, protective and preventive social counseling, emergency caretaker services, emergency shelter care, emergency medical services, and the establishment of groups organized by former abusing parents to encourage self-reporting and self-treatment of present abusers. 11 P.S. § 2216(d) (Supp.1980-81).
In addition, Section 2213 requires the Department of Public Welfare to maintain a continuing program to provide rehabilitative services before state intervention into the family relationship.
The department and each child protective service, both jointly and individually, shall conduct a continuing publicity and education program for the citizens of the Commonwealth aimed at the prevention of child abuse, the identification of abused children, and the provision of necessary ameliorative services to abused children and their families. In addition, the department and each child protective service shall conduct an ongoing training and education *514program for local staff, persons required to report, and other appropriate persons in order to familiarize such persons with the reporting and investigative procedures for cases of suspected child abuse and the rehabilitative services that are available to children and families.
11 P.S. § 2213 (Supp.1980-81). (Emphasis added).
Furthermore, the Department of Public Welfare pursuant to the authority of Articles VII and IX of the Public Welfare Code, Act of June 13, 1967, P.L. 31, as amended, 62 P.S. § 101 et seq. has promulgated regulations that require social services agencies to provide the following services to natural parents before recommending adoption: counseling; legal services; education services; health related services; financial assistance; and housing services.3
In the instant case, I.L.G. was hospitalized on two occasions for suspected child abuse. The record does indicate that a caseworker had attempted on several occasions to assist V.G. in caring for her child. V.G. did stay in intermittent contact with the Agency, but lack of transportation was part of her problem in not visiting I.L.G.
However, the obligation of the social service agency to offer rehabilitative services to the child and natural parent must not be performed in a perfunctory manner. Rehabilitative services must meet the needs of the individual. Under the instant circumstances, the rehabilitative services offered were far below those services required under the Child Protective Services Act.
What the majority fails to recognize is that often the affirmative obligation to perform parental duties requires the assistance and direction of those same social services which may ultimately seek to terminate the fundamental parental rights of the disadvantaged. I would therefore affirm the order of the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas denying the petition of the Child and Youth Service.

. Adoption Act of 1970, Act of July 24, 1970, P.L. 620, § 311(1), (Supp. 1980-81).

. In re: William L., supra, held that the Juvenile Act and Adoption Act may be considered in pari materia to the extent that they relate to state intervention in the parent-child relationship, 477 Pa. at 347, n.21, 383 A.2d at 1241, n.21.

. Department of Public Welfare Regulations, § 2-1-28 (5 Pa. Bulletin 2199, August 23, 1975).