Winston v. Children and Youth Services of Delaware County

Parents of a dependent child challenged the visitation policies of the Children and Youth Services Agency of Delaware County when their three-year-old son, Samuel, Jr., was taken into custody by the agency. The parents claimed that the visitation policy, which provided the family 1 hour every two weeks, was a violation of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act and a violation of their constitutional rights of due process and free association.

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that the agency’s policies did not violate the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act or the parents’ constitutional rights. The Third Circuit affirmed.