In the Int. of: E.F., Appeal of: A.A., Mother ( 2023 )


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  • J-S29031-23
    NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37
    IN THE INTEREST OF: E.F., A MINOR               :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
    :        PENNSYLVANIA
    :
    APPEAL OF: A.A., MOTHER                         :
    :
    :
    :
    :
    :   No. 725 MDA 2023
    Appeal from the Order Entered April 21, 2023
    In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Juvenile Division at No(s):
    CP-67-DP-0000120-2023
    BEFORE:      MURRAY, J., KING, J., and COLINS, J.*
    MEMORANDUM BY COLINS, J.:                                 FILED OCTOBER 20, 2023
    A.A. (“Mother”) appeals from the order adjudicating her minor child,
    E.F., born 2010 (“Child”), dependent. Additionally, Mother’s counsel has filed
    a petition for leave to withdraw and an accompanying brief pursuant to
    Anders v. California, 
    386 U.S. 738
     (1967). After careful review, we affirm
    and grant the petition to withdraw.
    On March 6, 2023, the Newberry Township Police Department
    responded to a report that a girl—later determined to be Child, who has been
    diagnosed with Down syndrome and is believed to be non-verbal—was seen
    walking unaccompanied along a road approximately ¼ mile from the home
    where Child resides with Mother.               N.T., 4/21/23, at 8-9.   The Newberry
    ____________________________________________
    * Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
    J-S29031-23
    Township Police Department had responded to a similar report involving Child
    wandering alone in November 2022. Id. at 11-12, 30.
    On April 6, 2023, the York County Office of Children, Youth, and Families
    (“Agency”) filed the instant dependency petition. On that same date, the trial
    court issued an order and summons scheduling a hearing on the dependency
    petition for April 21, 2023, and directing that Mother, Child, and Child’s father,
    G.F.-D. (“Father”), attend the hearing. Order and Summons, 4/6/23, at 1-2.
    The order also appointed a guardian ad litem (“GAL”) to represent Child,
    directed the parents to permit the GAL’s access to Child for an interview in
    preparation for the hearing, and advised the parents that they had the right
    to counsel in the dependency proceedings, as well as the right to appointed
    counsel if they lacked sufficient financial resources. Id.; see also 42 Pa.C.S.
    § 6311(a), (b)(1) (providing that trial court shall appoint a GAL to represent
    child’s legal and best interests in dependency proceeding and that the GAL
    shall “[m]eet with the child as soon as possible following appointment . . . and
    on a regular basis thereafter in a manner appropriate to the child’s age and
    maturity”); 42 Pa.C.S. § 6337 (“[A] party is entitled to representation by legal
    counsel at all stages of any proceedings under [the Juvenile Act] and if he is
    without financial resources or otherwise unable to employ counsel, to have
    the court provide counsel for him.”). An affidavit of service was filed indicating
    that the scheduling order and summons were posted at Mother’s address on
    April 13, 2023. Affidavit of Service, 4/19/23.
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    The hearing occurred as scheduled on April 21, 2023; neither Mother
    nor Father attended, nor were they represented by counsel at the hearing. 1
    Child likewise was not present. Child’s GAL stated that she had made several
    attempts to contact Mother so she could meet with Child and that Mother
    either did not respond to voicemails or picked up the phone and hung up
    without speaking; Mother also did not answer the door when the GAL went to
    her residence. N.T., 4/21/23, at 4-5. Counsel for the Agency reported at the
    hearing the caseworker’s inability to make contact with Mother despite recent
    attempts since the filing of the dependency petition as well as the Agency’s
    failure to locate Father to date as he was believed to be in Puerto Rico. Id.
    at 4-6.
    Officer Jonathan Taylor of the Newberry Township Police Department,
    David Surovec of Insight PA Cyber Charter School, and Nicole Cuevas-Rios,
    the assigned Agency caseworker, testified at the hearing.       Officer Taylor
    testified that he responded to the residence of the individual who found Child
    on March 6, 2023, but Mother had already arrived to pick Child up. Id. at 8-
    9. The individual who made the police report described Mother as combative
    and argumentative when Mother retrieved Child.      Id. at 9.   Officer Taylor
    ____________________________________________
    1 A bench warrant was issued during the April 21, 2023 hearing based upon
    Mother’s failure to appear, and Mother was arrested, brought before the trial
    court, and released on that date. N.T., 4/21/23, at 38-40, 48-60; Bench
    Warrant, 4/21/23; Order Vacating Bench Warrant, 4/21/23. Mother filed a
    petition for court-appointed counsel on April 26, 2023, and Mother’s current
    counsel was appointed to represent her on May 1, 2023.
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    proceeded to Mother’s residence and             found that Mother was “very
    argumentative,” refused to step out of her home, and only allowed the officer
    to see Child through the open doorway. Id. at 10, 13. Officer Taylor did not
    respond to the November 2022 incident of Child wandering, but he was aware
    of it through the police database. Id. at 11-12. No charges were filed as a
    result of either of the incidents. Id. at 12.
    Surovec, who is the student resource coordinator at Child’s cyber
    charter school, testified that Mother enrolled Child in that school for the 2022-
    2023 school year and that Child had 3 excused absences and 95 unexcused
    absences for the school year out of an approximate 100 school days as of the
    date of his testimony. Id. at 17-20. Surovec stated that Child had not been
    seen on camera or logged into the school’s system during the school year.
    Id. at 19. The school made truancy referrals for Child on October 12 and
    November 10, 2022, through the ChildLine system. Id. at 21-22. Surovec
    also relayed that Mother had failed to attend an individualized education
    program, or IEP, meeting on December 19, 2022, despite three invitations
    being sent.   Id. at 23.    The school also requested a wellness check on
    December 20, 2022, and later received a report that an officer made contact
    with Mother and Child on that date. Id. at 23-24. Surovec explained that the
    December 20, 2022 wellness check was the only time that the school had
    contact with Mother.    Id. at 28.    Surovec testified that Mother missed a
    student attendance meeting on January 20, 2023, and the school referred
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    Mother to the York County truancy diversion program on that same date. Id.
    at 24.
    Cuevas-Rios, the Agency caseworker, testified that an Agency employee
    contacted Mother in November 2022 after the prior incident in which Child was
    found to have walked into a stranger’s home, but Mother did not allow direct
    interaction with Child and instead only allowed the employee to see Child
    through a window. Id. at 30. Cuevas-Rios attempted follow-up contact with
    Mother after that incident but received no answer to her telephone calls or
    when she knocked on the door. Id. at 30-31. Cuevas-Rios spoke to neighbors
    who said that Mother was always home and Child was almost never seen
    outside.      Id. at 31.     Cuevas-Rios also spoke with Mother’s mother
    (“Grandmother”)      who   stated   that   she   was   worried   about   Mother’s
    psychological health and isolation from the family; Grandmother further
    reported to Cuevas-Rios that Mother made a false report to police that
    Grandmother was attempting to poison Child by feeding her a homemade
    soup, with any poisoning being ruled out after a hospital visit. Id. at 31-33.
    Grandmother was the only family member Cuevas-Rios spoke to who
    volunteered to be a kinship resource, but Grandmother resided in Florida and
    had health issues. Id. at 32-33. Mother’s cousin also refused to be a kinship
    resource based upon Mother’s perceived mental health issues. Id. at 32-35.
    Cuevas-Rios stated that a foster parent was available should Child be
    immediately removed from Mother’s home. Id. at 40-41.
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    The GAL stated at the hearing that she had “pretty significant concerns”
    for Child’s safety based upon the instances of Child being found walking alone
    in the community and the fact that no one at the Agency had seen Child since
    November 2022, the cyber charter school likewise had no knowledge of Child’s
    safety, and Officer Taylor only had fleeting visual contact with Child in March
    2023. Id. at 41. The GAL noted Child’s Down syndrome, her lack of education
    during the current school year, and Mother’s mental health issues. Id. at 41-
    42. The GAL accordingly recommended that Child be removed from Mother’s
    home and be placed in foster care. Id. at 42.
    At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court adjudicated Child
    dependent; the court concluded that the Agency had presented clear and
    convincing evidence to satisfy paragraphs 1 and 5 of the definition of a
    “dependent child” in the Juvenile Act because Child was without proper
    parental care or control and habitually truant from school. Id. at 42-43; Order
    of Adjudication and Disposition, 4/21/23, at 2; see also 42 Pa.C.S. § 6302.
    The court further determined that it was in the best interests of Child that she
    be removed from Mother’s home and that the Agency had undertaken
    reasonable efforts to prevent Child’s removal from the home. N.T., 4/21/23,
    at 43-44; Order of Adjudication and Disposition, 4/21/23, at 2. The trial court
    accordingly transferred legal and physical custody of Child to the Agency for
    her placement in foster care based upon the absence of any suitable kinship
    resources.   N.T., 4/21/23, at 43; Order of Adjudication and Disposition,
    4/21/23, at 2.    Additionally, while the court found that the Agency had
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    undertaken adequate efforts to locate additional family members to date, see
    Pa.R.J.C.P. 1149, the court directed the trial court to continue attempts to
    locate family, including Father.    N.T., 4/21/23, at 43, 46-47; Order of
    Adjudication and Disposition, 4/21/23, at 2-3.
    Mother filed a timely notice of appeal, as well as a contemporaneous
    concise statement of errors complained of on appeal, as required by Pa.R.A.P.
    1925(a)(2)(i). The trial court filed an opinion on June 6, 2023.
    Before reaching the merits of this appeal, we must first address whether
    counsel’s petition to withdraw and accompanying brief comply with the
    procedure outlined in Anders and related case law. See In re J.D.H., 
    171 A.3d 903
    , 906 (Pa. Super. 2017) (holding that Anders procedure for
    withdrawal of court-appointed counsel applies in a dependency matter, even
    in the absence of an involuntary termination decree). In order to withdraw
    under Anders, counsel must
    1) petition the court for leave to withdraw stating that, after
    making a conscientious examination of the record, counsel has
    determined that the appeal would be frivolous; 2) furnish a copy
    of the Anders brief to the appellant; and 3) advise the appellant
    that he or she has the right to retain private counsel or raise
    additional arguments that the appellant deems worthy of the
    court’s attention.
    
    Id. at 907
     (quoting Commonwealth v. Cartrette, 
    83 A.3d 1030
    , 1032 (Pa.
    Super. 2013) (en banc)) (brackets omitted).
    With respect to the third requirement, counsel must “attach to their
    petition to withdraw a copy of the letter sent to their client advising him or
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    her of their rights.” 
    Id.
     (quoting Commonwealth v. Millisock, 
    873 A.2d 748
    , 752 (Pa. Super. 2005)).    Because a parent has a continuing right to
    counsel in dependency proceedings, an attorney seeking to withdraw during
    a dependency proceeding must
    inform the parent of his or her right to counsel in any subsequent
    dependency or involuntary termination proceedings. Counsel
    must also inform the parent that, if he or she cannot afford
    counsel, he or she may contact the trial court in order to obtain
    new counsel. This information must be conveyed to the parent at
    the same time that counsel informs the parent of his or her other
    rights pursuant to Anders[.]
    Id. at 906-07; see also 42 Pa.C.S. § 6337; 23 Pa.C.S. § 2313(a.1).
    Furthermore, the Anders brief must:
    (1) provide a summary of the procedural history and facts, with
    citations to the record;
    (2) refer to anything in the record that counsel believes arguably
    supports the appeal;
    (3) set forth counsel’s conclusion that the appeal is frivolous; and
    (4) state counsel’s reasons for concluding that the appeal is
    frivolous. Counsel should articulate the relevant facts of record,
    controlling case law, and/or statutes on point that have led to the
    conclusion that the appeal is frivolous.
    J.D.H., 
    171 A.3d at 907
     (quoting Commonwealth v. Santiago, 
    978 A.2d 349
    , 361 (Pa. 2009)).
    In her petition to withdraw, counsel indicated that she has thoroughly
    reviewed the record and determined that there are no non-frivolous grounds
    for this appeal. Counsel’s Anders brief includes a summary of the relevant
    procedural and factual history of this case and discusses the reasons upon
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    which counsel bases her conclusion that the appeal is frivolous, with citations
    to the record and applicable case law. Additionally, Counsel sent a letter to
    Mother advising her of her right to retain new counsel or proceed pro se and
    raise any additional points she deemed worthy of this Court’s attention.2 This
    letter was attached to counsel’s petition to withdraw, and it indicates that
    counsel provided Mother with a copy of the petition to withdraw and Anders
    brief. Counsel’s letter did not advise Mother of her right to appointed counsel
    in any subsequent dependency or termination proceeding and that she should
    contact the court to obtain new counsel if she could not afford it. See id. at
    906-07. Therefore, on September 6, 2023, this Court issued a per curiam
    order directing counsel to send Mother a new letter advising her of her
    continuing right to counsel in future dependency and termination proceedings
    and to file the letter in this Court within 14 days. Mother has complied with
    our order.
    We thus conclude that counsel has complied with the procedural
    requirements for withdrawal, and we proceed to review the merits of this
    appeal. We first consider the issues raised by counsel in her Anders brief and
    determine whether they are in fact frivolous. Id. at 908. In addition, if we
    determine that the issues raised by counsel are frivolous, we then proceed to
    “conduct an independent review of the record to discern if there are any
    ____________________________________________
    2 As of the date of this decision, Mother has not filed a pro se brief with this
    Court, nor has privately retained counsel entered an appearance on Mother’s
    behalf.
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    additional, non-frivolous issues overlooked by counsel.”        Id. (quoting
    Commonwealth v. Flowers, 
    113 A.3d 1246
    , 1250 (Pa. Super. 2015)).
    Counsel raises the following issues in her brief:
    [1.] Whether or not the Lower Court erred as a matter of law
    and/or abused its discretion in finding that clear and convincing
    evidence existed to find the minor child dependent based on the
    minor child being without proper care and control, subsistence,
    education as required by law, or other care, or control necessary
    for her physical, mental, or emotional health or morals.
    [2.] Whether or not the Lower Court erred as a matter of law
    and/or abused its discretion in finding that clear and convincing
    evidence existed to find the minor child dependent based on the
    minor child being subject to compulsory school attendance and is
    habitually and without justification truant from school.
    [3.] Whether or not the Lower Court erred as a matter of law
    and/or abused its discretion in finding that it was in the minor
    child’s best interests to be removed from the home of Mother and
    Father.
    Anders Brief, at 4.
    We review a trial court’s ruling in a dependency matter for an abuse of
    discretion. In re R.J.T., 
    9 A.3d 1179
    , 1190 (Pa. 2010); In re A.B., 
    63 A.3d 345
    , 349 (Pa. Super. 2013). We accept the trial court’s findings of fact and
    credibility determinations when supported by the record, but we are not
    required to accept the lower court’s inferences or conclusions of law. R.J.T.,
    9 A.3d at 1190; A.B., 
    63 A.3d at 349
    . “[W]e accord great weight to the court's
    fact-finding function because the court is in the best position to observe and
    rule on the credibility of the parties and witnesses.” In re A.W., 162 A.3d
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    1117, 1120 (Pa. Super. 2017) (quoting In re D.P., 
    972 A.2d 1221
    , 1225 (Pa.
    Super. 2009))
    As relevant to this case, the Juvenile Act defines a “dependent child,” as
    a child who:
    (1) is without proper parental care or control, subsistence,
    education as required by law, or other care or control necessary
    for his physical, mental, or emotional health, or morals. A
    determination that there is a lack of proper parental care or
    control may be based upon evidence of conduct by the parent,
    guardian or other custodian that places the health, safety or
    welfare of the child at risk, including evidence of the parent’s,
    guardian’s or other custodian’s use of alcohol or a controlled
    substance that places the health, safety or welfare of the child at
    risk;
    *     *      *
    (5) while subject to compulsory school attendance is habitually
    and without justification truant from school;
    42 Pa.C.S. § 6302. Under the Public School Code of 1949, a student is of
    compulsory school age from ages six to eighteen.         24 P.S. §§ 13-1326
    (defining “compulsory school age”), 13-1327(a) (requiring compulsory school
    attendance). A child subject to compulsory school attendance is habitually
    truant if she has six or more unexcused absences during the current school
    year. 24 P.S. § 13-1326 (defining “habitually truant”). Proper parental care
    is defined in our caselaw as care that is geared towards the particularized
    needs of the child and, at a minimum, is likely to prevent serious injury to the
    child. A.B., 
    63 A.3d at 349
    ; In re C.R.S., 
    696 A.2d 840
    , 845 (Pa. Super.
    1997).   “[W]hen determining whether a parent is providing a minor with
    proper care and control . . . the caretaker’s acts and omissions should weigh
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    equally.” In re R.P., 
    957 A.2d 1205
    , 1217 (Pa. Super. 2008) (citation and
    emphasis omitted).
    After conducting a hearing, the trial court may find a child dependent if
    clear and convincing evidence has been presented that the child meets the
    statutory definition. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6341(a); In re L.Z., 
    111 A.3d 1164
    , 1176
    (Pa. 2015); In re E.B., 
    898 A.2d 1108
    , 1112 (Pa. Super. 2006). Clear and
    convincing evidence has been defined as evidence that is “so clear, direct,
    weighty, and convincing as to enable the trier of facts to come to a clear
    conviction, without hesitancy, of the truth of the precise facts in issue.” A.B.,
    
    63 A.3d at 349
     (citation omitted).
    Upon finding a child dependent, the court must then enter an order of
    disposition that is “best suited to the safety, protection and physical, mental,
    and moral welfare of the child.” 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 6341(c), 6351(a). If the court
    determines that removal of the dependent child from her home is appropriate,
    it must make findings that continuation in the home would be contrary to her
    welfare, safety, or health and further that reasonable efforts were made to
    eliminate the need for the child’s removal. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6351(b)(1), (2). This
    Court has explained:
    The law is clear that a child should be removed from her parent’s
    custody and placed in the custody of a state agency only upon a
    showing that removal is clearly necessary for the child’s well-
    being. In addition, this court had held that clear necessity for
    removal is not shown until the hearing court determines that
    alternative services that would enable the child to remain with her
    family are unfeasible.
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    A.B., 
    63 A.3d at 349-50
     (citation omitted); see also In re A.N., 
    39 A.3d 326
    ,
    331 (Pa. Super. 2012).
    The first two issues raised by counsel concern whether the trial court
    properly adjudicated Child dependent under paragraph 1 of the Juvenile Act’s
    definition of a dependent child, related to proper parental care or control, and
    also under paragraph 5, related to habitual truancy. See 42 Pa.C.S. § 6302.
    We agree with counsel that the Agency presented clear and convincing
    evidence on each of these grounds and that any challenge to the dependency
    adjudication would be frivolous.
    First, with respect to the question of whether Child was “without proper
    parental care or control . . . necessary for h[er] physical, mental, or emotional
    health, or morals,” id., the evidence at the April 21, 2023 hearing showed that
    Mother allowed Child, who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, to
    wander unattended in public twice within a six-month period with both of these
    incidents leading to a police response. N.T., 4/21/23, at 8-12, 30. Testimony
    was also presented showing that two of Mother’s relatives indicated that
    Mother suffered from apparent mental health issues, with Grandmother
    specifically reporting that Mother had falsely accused Grandmother of
    poisoning Child.   Id. at 31-35.     Additional testimony demonstrated that
    Mother refused multiple requests by police, the Agency, and the GAL to verify
    Child’s safety, and Mother also failed to appear or bring Child to the
    adjudication hearing, notwithstanding being directed to do so in a court order.
    Id. at 3-5, 10, 13, 30-31; Order and Summons, 4/6/23, at 1-2.              Such
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    evidence provides clear and convincing support for the trial court’s
    adjudication of Child as dependent based upon inadequate parental care or
    control by Mother that placed Child’s health, safety, and welfare at risk. See
    42 Pa.C.S. § 6302 (“A determination that there is a lack of proper parental
    care or control may be based upon evidence of conduct by the parent,
    guardian or other custodian that places the health, safety or welfare of the
    child at risk . . .”); A.B., 
    63 A.3d at 349
     (providing that a parent’s proper
    parental care and control must be measured according to “the particularized
    needs of the child”); R.P., 957 A.2d at 1217 (a caretaker’s omissions should
    be assessed equally to her voluntary acts in dependency proceeding).
    Turning to the question of whether Child was appropriately adjudicated
    dependent based upon habitual truancy, see 42 Pa.C.S. § 6302 (a dependent
    child is one who, “while subject to compulsory school attendance[,] is
    habitually and without justification truant from school”), the evidence at the
    hearing showed that Child was twelve years’ old during the 2022-2023 school
    year and therefore was subject to compulsory school attendance under the
    Public School Code. 24 P.S. §§ 13-1326, 13-1327(a). Child also far exceeded
    the statutory threshold for habitual truancy of six or more unexcused absences
    during a school year, 24 P.S. § 13-1326, as the testimony of the cyber charter
    school representative established that the school had recorded Child having
    95 unexcused absences (and 3 excused absences) out of approximately 100
    days during the current school year. N.T., 4/21/23, at 17-20. Further, Child
    had not been seen on screen by school staff at any point during the school
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    year. Id. at 19. Mother refused any contact with the school such that she
    could have justified Child’s unexcused absences, including by failing to attend
    Child’s IEP meeting and a conference specifically convened to discuss Child’s
    attendance issues.        Id. at 23-24.        Mother also failed to appear at the
    adjudication hearing to explain Child’s attendance record. The Agency thus
    demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that Child, who was “subject
    to compulsory school attendance,” was “habitually and without justification
    truant from school.” 42 Pa.C.S. § 6302; In re C.M.T., 
    861 A.2d 348
    , 353-54
    (Pa. Super. 2004) (agency establishes habitual truancy through school
    attendance records showing that absences are unexcused, which raises an
    inference that the absences are “without justification” that may be rebutted
    by the parent or child).
    Concerning counsel’s third issue related to Child’s removal from
    Mother’s home, the trial court determined that removal was in Child’s best
    interests because Child was unsafe in the home due to Mother’s mental health
    issues, her inadequate supervision of Child, the fact that her educational needs
    were not being met, and the current inability of the Agency to verify Child’s
    wellbeing.3 N.T., 4/21/23, at 43-44; Order of Adjudication and Disposition,
    ____________________________________________
    3 As the trial court aptly summarized:
    [A] primary safety concern is [Mother’s] possible danger to [C]hild due
    to [Mother’s] alleged mental health issues and inability to confirm
    whether [C]hild’s medical needs are being met. The Agency was unable
    to assess the severity of [Mother’s] instability or whether medical care
    was provided to [C]hild due to [Mother’s] unwillingness to communicate
    (Footnote Continued Next Page)
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    4/21/23, at 2; Trial Court Opinion, 6/6/23, at 11-13; see also 42 Pa.C.S. §
    6351(a), (b)(1) (disposition ordered by court must be “best suited to the
    safety, protection and physical, mental, and moral welfare of the child” and
    an order of removal must be supported by finding that continuation in the
    home would be contrary to child’s welfare, safety, or health); A.B., 
    63 A.3d at 349
     (removal must be based upon finding that such action is “clearly
    necessary for the child’s well-being”) (citation omitted). The trial court further
    determined that the Agency made reasonable efforts to prevent removal
    based upon its various attempts to meet with Mother and Child that were
    refused, the inability to locate suitable kinship resources, and the fact that
    Father could not be located at the time of the adjudication hearing.        N.T.,
    ____________________________________________
    or cooperate in any way. [Mother] has placed [C]hild in harm’s way
    multiple times [by] allowing [C]hild to wander through the streets of the
    neighborhood . . .
    Any uncertainty surrounding the safety of [C]hild directly stems from
    [Mother’s] conscious effort to keep [C]hild from being seen by the
    police, the Agency, [her s]chool, and the trial court alike.[12] Safety of
    the child is the primary consideration in removing a child from the home.
    Absent any evidence to the contrary, the trial court was required to take
    steps to ensure that [C]hild was safe from harm. The trial court submits
    that it was in the best interest of [C]hild to remove her temporarily from
    the custody of her mother to ensure her safety until further safety
    assessments could be made, and appropriate services could be put in
    place.
    [FN 12] [Mother] not only failed to appear before the court, but
    also repeatedly failed to make [C]hild available to her GAL.
    [C]hild’s GAL expressed that there were significant safety
    concerns about the circumstances surrounding [C]hild’s
    unavailability.
    Trial Court Opinion, 6/6/23, at 11-13 (record citations omitted).
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    4/21/23, at 43, 46-47; Order of Adjudication and Disposition, 4/21/23, at 2-
    3; Trial Court Opinion, 6/6/23, at 10-11; see also 42 Pa.C.S. § 6351(b)(2)
    (trial court may not order a child’s removal absent finding that reasonable
    efforts were made to eliminate the need for the removal); A.B., 
    63 A.3d at 349-50
     (removal is not appropriate unless trial court finds that alternative
    services that would enable child to remain with family are unfeasible). We
    conclude that the trial court’s dispositional ruling was supported by the clear
    and convincing evidence outlined above and was proper under the Juvenile
    Act and related caselaw. Accordingly, any challenge to that ruling would be
    frivolous.
    Based on the foregoing, we agree with counsel that the issues raised in
    the Anders brief are wholly frivolous and that the trial court acted within its
    discretion in adjudicating Child dependent and ordering her removal from
    Mother’s home. In addition, we have reviewed the certified record and have
    discovered no additional non-frivolous issues. Therefore, we grant counsel’s
    petition to withdraw and affirm the trial court’s April 21, 2023 order.
    Order affirmed. Petition to withdraw granted.
    Judgment Entered.
    Benjamin D. Kohler, Esq.
    Prothonotary
    Date: 10/20/2023
    - 17 -
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 725 MDA 2023

Judges: Colins, J.

Filed Date: 10/20/2023

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 12/13/2024