Court Opinion

ID: 9638877
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 15:57:17.889722+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:10.444677
License: Public Domain

JOYCE, J.,
dissenting.
¶ 1 I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion. I agree with the trial court’s interpretation of the statute in that the grandmother failed to establish that she had standing pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5313. Under the relevant section, the grandparent must show that for 12 months she has assumed the role and responsibility for a child who is substantially at risk, or deems it necessary to assume responsibility for a child who is substantially at risk. 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5313(b)(3). The grandmother did not assume responsibility of the child prior to the child being adjudicated dependant. Furthermore, because the child was already taken out of the parents’ home, the child was no longer at risk. The plain meaning of the statute does not provide standing for the grandparent in this case.