Let Our Family Help Your Family

Judge says Dependency Court will rule in child custody case

Many Pennsylvania parents are fighting for custody of their children for any number of reasons. Some parents are in a child custody battle with an ex-spouse. Some grandparents are seeking permanent child custody of their grandchildren because the parents are unable to provide the proper care. One teenage girl is working to become the mother her son always needed her to be.

Just after the boy was born, the girl left him in a trash compactor. A report on the incident gave no indication as to her reasons why but related that she now — a year later — deeply regrets her choice. Residents in a nearby apartment complex were able to save the baby before he was physically harmed. Workers at the Department of Social and Health Services, as well as a Dependency Court, have allowed her to have supervised visits with the boy each week.

The girl was recently sentenced to a jail term of six months for the crime. Should she follow the instructions of the court, the judge told her there was a possibility she could regain custody of her son in the future. The prosecutor in the case, however, fervently objected and asked that the judge instead issue an order that would prevent the girl from having any contact with her son once she was released from jail. The judge denied the request and will entrust any custodial decisions to the Dependency Court.

Some child custody arrangements are clear-cut, with minimal or no contention between the concerned adults. Others may spur deeper animosity to an already intense relationship. No matter the situation between the adults, the best interests of the child should remain the focus. A knowledgeable attorney experienced in Pennsylvania family law will help ensure a parent’s interests are represented in family court.

Source: kiro7.com, “Teen who threw newborn in trash may get child back one day“, Henry Rosoff, April 18, 2017