Court Opinion

ID: 9749749
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 17:02:06.641809+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:57.428656
License: Public Domain

HESTER, Judge, dissenting:
I am constrained to dissent. As our Supreme Court stated in Albright v. Commonwealth ex rel. Fetters, 491 Pa. 320, 421 A.2d 157 (1980) at page 160 of 421 A.2d:
“Thus, the Hernandez standard, adopted by this Court in Ellerbe, was intended to emphasize the importance of *470the maintenance of the parental relationship, yet at the same time permit the hearing court to award custody to the third party where the best interests of the child will be clearly served by such a decision. This point is best demonstrated by the fact that this Court in Ellerbe, after embracing the Hernandez standard, applied it and sustained the decision of the hearing court awarding custody to the maternal grandmother. Ellerbe v. Hooks, 490 Pa. 363, 416 A.2d 512 (1980).”
In my judgment, the best interests of Desiree dictate that her custody be retained by her foster parents. I would, therefore, affirm on the opinion of Judge Wettick of the court below.