COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

FAMILY DIVISION – ADULT/JUVENILE SECTIONS

COURT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

440 Ross Street, Suite 5080

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15219

(412) 350-0377

Fax:  (412) 350-0375

 

Eugene F. Scanlon, Jr.		Cynthia K. Stoltz, Esquire
Administrative Judge, Adult/Juvenile Sections		Administrator, Adult/Juvenile Sections Court Services for Children
Kim Berkely Clark		Brian D. Dunbar, Esquire
Supervising Judge, Juvenile Section		Deputy Administrator, Adult/Juvenile Sections Court Services for Children

                                                                                               

 

 

            Today in the United States there are more than a half million children in foster care.  By some accounts more than one quarter of these children will never be able to return to their biological families.  In Allegheny County, statistics provided by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services indicate that as of September 1, 2003, 2,311 dependent, neglected or abused children are in out-of-home placements.  Of those children 69% (1,601 children) are in foster care.   Foster care includes children in foster homes, shelter care, and and pre-adoptive homes.  About one half of the foster children are in kinship care, meaning in the care of a family member.  Having served as a Judge in our Family Court since 1998, I have witnessed the challenges faced by these children and their families.  With the support of a caring family, any of these foster children can be given the keys to long-term health and success.

 

            November has been designated as National Adoption Month and this week the Allegheny County Family Court is having a weeklong celebration of Children and Families.  This celebration is really about permanency for all children who are currently in foster care.  For the Court, permanency means a safe, secure and nurturing home for every child that furthers the child’s healthy development.

 

            Permanency can be achieved primarily in three ways: First (and foremost), through the preservation of families which includes prevention efforts to address those situations that cause families to become vulnerable and through community based services that support and strengthen families;  Second, through permanent legal custodianship;  and  Third, through adoption.

 

            Saturday November 22, 2003 is the culmination of National Adoption Month.  My colleagues and I will join with judges across our nation who have volunteered their time to open the courthouse doors to conduct adoption hearings for children in foster care.  In Allegheny County nearly sixty children are scheduled to be adopted into permanent, loving homes.  The Court is being assisted in this effort by a coalition of volunteer lawyers, foster care professionals, child advocates, social service agencies, and national charitable foundations.

 

            Even though nearly sixty adoptions will be conducted, there are many foster children waiting in Allegheny County for a family they can call their own.  According to a survey conducted by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, four in ten Americans have considered adoption.  If only a fraction of able Americans adopted a child from foster care, the 126,000 children in foster care nationwide waiting for adoption would have permanent families.

 

            Thanks to changes in state and federal laws, adoption of a foster child is easier than ever, regardless of  age, gender, race or marital status.  Adopting children from foster care is virtually free.  Programs provided by state and federal governmental agencies have made it possible for people with low or moderate incomes to adopt children form foster care.  These programs provide cash benefits, payment of nonrecurring adoption expenses, medical assistance and social services.

 

            A growing number of employers offer adoption assistance as part of their benefits packages, including time off for maternity/paternity leave, financial incentives and other benefits.  Congress has made significant tax credits available.

 

            All children in the foster care system are there through no fault of their own.  By adopting a child or sibling group from the foster care system you give them the chance to grow up in loving and supportive homes.  Ultimately, this benefits all of us.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

 

Eugene F. Scanlon, Jr.

Administrative Judge

Allegheny County Family Court