Court Opinion

ID: 9736881
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:09:00.77312+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:43.615863
License: Public Domain

BECK, Judge,
dissenting.
Because I believe our supreme court’s decision in In re Adoption of Hess, 530 Pa. 218, 608 A.2d 10 (1992) should be interpreted to confer standing on appellees in this case, I must dissent. I disagree with the majority that Hess should be narrowly construed so as only to accord grandparents standing; I believe the Hess decision represents a recognition that in the ever-evolving arena of child custody and adoption, a party who has shown sincere and sustained concern for the welfare of a child should be permitted to appear in court and seek adoption.
Unlike the majority, I do not think that the Hess court was persuaded only by the significance of the grandparental relationship in reaching its decision. I am certain that the intensity of the grandparents’ concern for the children was a significant factor in the case. However, I believe that foster *428parents are just as capable of establishing genuine concern for their foster children and, further, of proving that their home is the appropriate place for a child to be permanently placed, notwithstanding a contrary opinion by the agency involved. In addition, I am mindful that the grant of standing does nothing more than allow an interested party to be heard in court; it surely does not amount to an award of custody nor does it change at all the standards by which the court decides the issue. Indeed the “best interests” of the child remain the paramount concern in these matters.
The Hess court’s references to other statutes which envision a grandparent’s desire to adopt a grandchild do support the holding on the case, but do not preclude the notion that foster parents also frequently move to adopt the children entrusted to their care. The idea that foster parents may one day wish to permanently adopt a foster child is not a novel one.
The majority further states that “the [Hess ] Court obviously was persuaded by the fact that the grandparents’ efforts consistently were rebuffed by Lancaster Family Services which refused to give them any information until well after the parental rights had been terminated.” In my opinion, any disapproval by the Hess court of the manner in which the agency proceeded in the case does not serve to bolster the argument that the Hess holding includes only grandparents, but instead supports the idea that an agency may act improperly in withholding its consent and, accordingly, an aggrieved party should be permitted to appear in court to contest the agency’s decision.
It is clear that in the absence of Hess, we would be required to hold that appellees have no standing in this matter. As noted by the majority, the law prior to Hess éxplieitly states that foster parents have no standing to seek adoption of their foster children. I would hold, however, that Hess represents a change in the law and that its holding should be interpreted to confer standing on appellees.
I strongly agree with the Hess court that “[a] child’s interests are best served when all those who demonstrate an *429interest in his or her welfare are allowed to be heard.” Hess, 530 Pa. at 227, 608 A.2d at 15. Here, appellees have acted as parents for these children for a period of years and, in the case of one of the children, virtually since birth. In my opinion, they have demonstrated an interest in the children’s welfare and should be permitted to appear in court. It may be that the trial court will agree with the agency that appellees are not an appropriate couple with whom to permanently place the children. However, I would not deny appellees an opportunity to persuade the court otherwise, particularly where what they are requesting is an opportunity to prove that they can provide a safe and nurturing home for the children.