IN THE MATTER OF: J.C., A MINOR APPEAL OF P.B., LEGAL GUARDIAN

IN THE MATTER OF: J.C., A MINOR APPEAL OF P.B., LEGAL GUARDIAN No. 2305 EDA 2009 2010 PA Super 150 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/16/2010
	Appeal from the Order entered August 13, 2009, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Family Court at No. DP#2869-09-08, J#386995-06
Before: DONOHUE, SHOGAN and LAZARUS, JJ.
Opinion by: DONOHUE, J.
P.B., Maternal Grandmother (“Grandmother”), appeals from the trial court’s order entered on August 13, 2009, denying Grandmother’s motion to dismiss the Philadelphia Department of Human Services’ (“DHS’s”) dependency petition and adjudicating J.C., age 11 (“Child”), dependent. The order also committed Child to DHS, ordered that visits with C.B. (“Mother”) and Grandmother be supervised, and ordered Mother to have a drug screen at the Clinical Evaluation Unit (“CEU”). We affirm.

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IN RE: J.P. APPEAL OF: DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

IN RE: J.P. APPEAL OF: DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES No. 521 EDA 2009 2010 PA Super 102 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 6/3/2010
	Appeal from the Order entered on December 19, 2008, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Family Court Division, No. D#5698-08-07, J#376628-03
Before: BOWES, OLSON, AND FITZGERALD, JJ.
Opinion by: OLSON, J.
Appellant, City of Philadelphia, Department of Human Services (“DHS”), appeals from an order directing DHS to provide kinship care payments to W.W. (“Grandmother”), the paternal grandmother of dependent child, J.P. (“Child”). We affirm.

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IN RE: D.S. AND M.S., MINOR CHILDREN APPEAL OF: D.B., GRANDMOTHER

IN RE: D.S. AND M.S., MINOR CHILDREN APPEAL OF: D.B., GRANDMOTHER No. 2685 EDA 2008 2009 PA Super 144 Atlantic: 979 A.2d 901 Filed: 7/23/2009
	Appeal from the Order Entered August 27, 2008 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Family Court at No(s): J.# 46153601 Petition# 6122-07-08 Petition# 6123-07-08
Before: STEVENS, KLEIN, and KELLY, JJ.
Opinion by: STEVENS, J.
Concurring Statement by: KLEIN, J.
D.B. (“Grandmother”) appeals from the August 27, 2008 order entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County concluding that Grandmother did not have standing to participate in the dependency proceedings and vacating the appointment of Grandmother’s counsel. We affirm.

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IN THE INTEREST OF: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES (at 1766) IN RE: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF: M.D.,

IN THE INTEREST OF: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY OFFICE OF CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES (at 1766) IN RE: J.S., A MINOR APPEAL OF: M.D., NATURAL MOTHER(at 1767) No. 1766 and 1777 WDA 2008 2009 PA Super 141 Atlantic: 980 A.2d 117 Filed: 7/21/2009
	Appeal from the Order Entered September 18, 2008, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Juvenile Division, at No. 76151-B.
Before: BOWES, DONOHUE and POPOVICH, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
In this consolidated appeal, the Allegheny County Office of Children and Youth and Families (“CYF”) and M.D. (“Mother”) appeal from the order entered on September 18, 2008, wherein the juvenile court granted K.C. and J.C. (“Foster Parents”) permission to intervene in an ongoing dependency proceeding. We reverse.

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Superior Court 9/29/08 - IN THE MATTER OF: K.K.R.-S., K.M.R., K.A.R., MINORS

IN THE MATTER OF: K.K.R.-S., K.M.R., K.A.R., MINORS APPEAL OF: D.R., NATURAL MOTHER
No. 1429 MDA 2007 2008 PA Super 231 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 9/29/2008
Appeal from the Decrees in the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County, Orphans’ Court Division, Nos. 4-ADOPT-2007/7 JD 2004, 5-ADOPT-2007/750 JD 2003 6-ADOPT-2007/JV-693-2006
Before: STEVENS, MUSMANNO and TAMILIA, JJ.
Opinion by: TAMILIA, J.
D.R. appeals from the Decrees terminating her parental rights to K.K.R.-S. (DOB 8/23/00), K.M.R. (DOB 11/14/03), and K.A.R. (DOB 1/31/06).

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Superior Court 8/26/08 - IN RE: ADOPTION OF C.L.G.

IN RE: ADOPTION OF C.L.G.APPEAL OF: N.P., NATURAL MOTHER
No. 899 EDA 2007 2008 PA Super 198 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/26/2008
Appeal from the Order Entered March 22, 2007 In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County Orphans’ Court at No. 06-0072
Before: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J., MUSMANNO, LALLY-GREEN, BENDER, BOWES, PANELLA, DONOHUE, SHOGAN AND ALLEN, JJ.
Opinion by: ALLEN, J.
Dissenting Opinion by: BENDER, J.
N.P. (Mother), the biological parent of C.L.G. (d.o.b. 4/14/05) appeals from the order entered on March 22, 2007, granting the petition filed by the Chester County Department of Children, Youth and Families (Agency) and involuntarily terminating her parental rights to C.L.G. Upon reconsideration, we affirm.

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Superior Court 8/21/08 - IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINOR,

IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINOR,APPEAL OF: K.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: L.P., A MINORAPPEAL OF: K.P.No. 2741 and 2742 EDA 2007 2008 PA Super 196 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/21/2008
Appeal from the Order Entered October 4, 2007,in the Court of Common Pleas of Pike County, Civil Division,at No. Juvenile No. 124-2007 and 123-2007.
Before: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J., BOWES and COLVILLE, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
This is an appeal by K.P. (“Mother”) from the October 4, 2007 order adjudicating her children, L.P., born July 21, 2003, and R.P., born February 20, 2006, dependent. L.P. and R.P., who are not consanguineous, were adopted from different orphanages in Russia. L.P. was adopted in June 2004, and R.P. was adopted in June 2007, only two months before suffering brutal, life-threatening physical abuse at the hands of Father. N.T., 9/17/07, at 18-19. They were declared dependent children after the trial court found that Mother was a perpetrator by omission of R.P.’s abuse. As the court also found aggravated circumstances, the October 4, 2007 order provided that no further efforts to preserve or reunify the family were necessary. Following our exhaustive review of the notes of testimony, relevant case law, and arguments of the parties, we affirm.

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Superior Court 8/21/08 - N THE INTEREST OF: L.P., A MINOR

IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINOR, DATE OF BIRTH 02/02/2006APPEAL OF: K.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: L.P., DATE OF BIRTH 7/21/2003, A MINORAPPEAL OF: K.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: L.P., A MINORAPPEAL OF: J.P.IN THE INTEREST OF: R.P., A MINORAPPEAL OF: J.P
No. 3037 & 3108 EDA 2007, 36 and 37 EDA 2008 2008 PA Super 197 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 8/21/2008
Appeal from the Order Entered October 31, 2007, in the Court of Common Pleas of Pike County, Civil Division,at No. Juvenile No. 124-2007 and 123-2007.
Before: BEFORE: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J., BOWES AND COLVILLE, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
K.P. (“Mother”) and J.P. (“Father”) (also collectively referred to as “Parents”) appeal from the orders dated October 31, 2007, which were filed November 1, 2007, changing the placement goal for their children, R.P. and L.P., to adoption. As these appeals involve identical parties and derive from the same permanency hearing determinations and orders, we have elected to discuss them together. Following our complete and thorough review of the record, we affirm.

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Superior Court 7/15/08 - P.T. & K.T. v. M.H.

P.T. & K.T. v. M.H.
No. 900 WDA 2007 2008 PA Super 155 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 7/15/2008
Appeal from the Order of April 13, 2007, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Family Court Division, No. FD 99-003698-005.
Before: BENDER, BOWES, AND TAMILIA, JJ.
Opinion by: BOWES, J.
Appellants, P.T. and K.T., appeal the order dated April 13, 2007, and entered April 16, 2007, wherein the trial court denied their motion for standing to file a complaint for custody pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 5303 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Family Division, but granted standing in an ongoing dependency proceeding in juvenile court. We affirm.

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On appeal, Appellants raise the following issues for our review:

1. Whether the [Family Division] trial court erred in denying Appellants’ Motion for Standing to file their Complaint for Primary Custody of [A.H.]?

2. Whether the [Family Division] trial court erred in not informing Appellants of their right to counsel and not appointing counsel for Appellants for all proceedings related to their legal status in relation to Child and otherwise when Appellants allege that they were legal custodians and stood in loco parentis to Child?

¶ 7 We first address our appellate jurisdiction. Mother and CYF both
challenge whether the Family Division trial court’s order was an appealable
final order under Pa.R.A.P. 341. Mother and CYF discuss the order in the
context of the underlying dependency proceeding. Mother asserts, “The
April 13, 2007 order does nothing more than oblige [Appellants] to litigate
their custody claim as part of the ongoing dependency proceedings.”
Mother’s brief at 7. Similarly, CYF posits, “The order does not dispose of
[Appellant’s] custody claims, it merely requires [Appellants] to litigate those
claims in the dependency proceeding in Juvenile Court.” CYF brief at 8.
¶ 8 We disagree with both contentions because each ignores that the order
being appealed was not entered in the dependency case. Rather, the order
appealed herein was entered in response to Appellants’ motion for in loco
parentis standing to file a custody complaint in the Family Division action.
While Appellants did participate in the dependency action, albeit on a limited
basis, they never sought to intervene in those proceedings. Simply stated,
the April 13, 2007 order effectively dismissed Appellants’ custody complaint,
precluded them from litigating their custody claim, and confined Appellants
to participation in the dependency proceeding’s dispositional stage. As the
April 13, 2007 order did, in fact, dispose of Appellants’ custody claim filed in
the Family Division, we find that the order is final.3 Cf. Carpenter v.
Carpenter, 474 A.2d 1124, 1126 (Pa.Super. 1984) (since order vacating
earlier award of temporary custody and staying custody proceedings on
ground that Massachusetts court was already exercising its jurisdiction, the
appellant was precluded from litigating the case in Pennsylvania, and order
appealed was a final order). Thus, the appeal is proper.

Superior Court 4/25/08 - IN THE MATTER OF T.D.

IN THE MATTER OF T.D.APPEAL OF: J.D., FATHERAPPEAL OF: C.M., MOTHER
No. 1535 WDA 2007 2008 PA Super 80 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 4/25/2008
Appeal from the Order of July 25, 2007In the Court of Common Pleas of Washington CountyOrphans’ Court at No. 63-07-0045
Before: BENDER, GANTMAN and TAMILIA, JJ.
Opinion by: BENDER, J.
Dissenting Opinion by: TAMILIA, J.
In these two consecutively listed appeals, Appellant, J.D. (Father), and Appellant, C.M. (Mother), collectively referred to as “Parents,” appeal from the order entered on July 25, 2007, that involuntarily terminated their respective parental rights to their minor son, T.D. As Parents raise parallel arguments, we address both appeals together, and after careful review, we affirm.

Superior Court 2/27/2008 - IN RE: R.C.

IN RE: R.C. APPEAL OF: T.B., Natural Father
No. 1442 WDA 2007 2008 PA Super 25 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 2/27/2008
Appeal from the Order entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Civil Division, No(s): 132-06
Before: PANELLA, SHOGAN and TAMILIA, JJ.
Opinion by: TAMILIA, J.
This is an appeal by father, T.B., challenging the May 30, 2007, Order which found aggravated circumstances existed as to him as a result of his failure to maintain substantial and continuing contact with his minor child, R.C., DOB March 10, 2005. The Order also stated that no further efforts would be made to reunite father and child. At the time these proceedings were initiated and the court’s May 30, 2007, Order was entered, father was incarcerated and awaiting trial on the January 13, 2006, murder of R.C.’s mother. On October 10, 2007, appellant was found guilty of first degree murder, and on January 7, 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The procedural history of this case, as reflected in the record, follows.

Superior Court 2/26/2008 - IN RE: INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO E.A.P., A MINOR

IN RE: INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO E.A.P., A MINOR APPEAL OF: D.P., BIOLOGICAL MOTHER
No. 2119 EDA 2007 2008 PA Super 24 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 2/26/2008
Appeal from the Order entered June 15, 2007 In the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County, Orphans’ Court, No. A2006-0127
Before: KLEIN, BENDER and POPOVICH, JJ.
Opinion by: KLEIN, J.
D.P. (Mother) appeals from the order entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County terminating her parental rights to her daughter, E.A.P., born September 6, 1997. Mother raises two issues: (1) whether the trial court erred in determining that Lehigh County Office of Children and Youth Services (LCCYS) met its burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the statutory standards in 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 2511(a)(1) and (a)(2) had been met; and (2) whether the court erred in determining that LCCYS met its burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that termination best meets the needs and welfare of the child as required by 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 2511(b).

Superior Court 2/21/2008 - IN THE MATTER OF: S.B., A MINOR

IN THE MATTER OF: S.B., A MINOR APPEAL OF: M.O. AND A.B., NATURAL PARENTS
No. 692 MDA 2007 2008 PA Super 21 Atlantic: n/a Filed: 2/21/2008
Appeal from the Order entered March 21, 2007 In the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County Criminal, No. CP-21-JV-0030114-2003
Before: LALLY-GREEN, GANTMAN, JJ., AND MCEWEN, P.J.E.
Opinion by: GANTMAN, J.
Appellants, M.O. (“Mother”) and A.B. (“Father”) appeal from the order entered in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas, changing their family goal from “return home” to adoption with respect to their minor child S.B. (DOB 8/27/99). Upon a thorough review of the record and the applicable law, we affirm.