Mitch v. Bucks County Children & Youth Social Service Agency

HOFFMAN, Judge:

This appeal is from the order below dismissing appellants’ petition for custody. The sole issue raised for our review is one of first impression: whether prospective adoptive parents have standing to contest the decision of the legal custodian, a child welfare agency, to remove from their custody a child placed with them for adoption. For the reasons set forth below, we conclude that prospective adoptive parents do have standing to petition for custody and, accordingly, we reverse the order below and remand for proceedings consistent with this Opinion.

The child in question,…