Court Opinion

ID: 4964309
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-09-24 15:38:25.255633+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:16:00.650020
License: Public Domain

CONCURRING STATEMENT BY
KLEIN, J.:
¶ 1 I fully join in the cogent analysis of my esteemed colleague. I write separately only to note that I believe it was error for the trial court to dismiss Grandmother’s custody petition because the dependency matter was pending. As the majority fully and thoroughly points out in its opinion, there are significant differences between a grandparent who is merely a placement as a foster parent and a grandparent seeking custody. As noted by Judge Stevens:
The trial court found that Grandmother’s arguments with regard to her standing in the dependency case of the Children based on 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5313 and R.M., supra, are misplaced in this case. The trial court noted that, although the Supreme Court and the legislature granted grandparents in both instances standing to file a petition for custody, they did not grant grandparents standing to participate in dependency proceedings before the trial court grants the petition for custody.
Majority Opinion, at 904.
¶ 2 The prime reason why Grandmother was denied standing to participate in the dependency proceeding is because it is a very different procedure from a custody hearing. Therefore, the appeal of the dependency petition should have no effect on the custody petition and that should have been heard.
¶ 3 There are practical reasons for this as well. First, it is vitally important for children to have certainty in their placements, and if ultimately the Grandmother obtains custody, as she well might, there *908will have been a long delay while the child is in a placement with different foster parents. Secondly, it is understandable that with the crush of the volume of dependency matters, it is necessary for the Department of Human Services to have firm rules to provide placement and further to avoid being hampered by extensive litigation. At the same time, the Court has more flexibility when determining permanent custody. I do not question a rule that prohibits dependency placement when a member of the household has certain criminal convictions. However, in a custody matter when there is time to fully consider all factors, such as this case, the court may well find that despite the foster step-grandfather’s twelve-year-old conviction for aggravated assault, that placement may be optimum for the grandchildren.
¶ 4 While I fully agree with Judge Stevens, I urge the immediate reactivation of the custody matter.