In re D.R. and A.R.

Juvenile Law Center and Women’s Law Project filed an amicus brief in the Pennsylvania Superior Court critiquing a juvenile court’s adoption of a per se rule that a parent’s illegal drug use should result in the automatic removal of a child from that parent’s home even when that child is parented well  (i.e., well fed, well clothed, and well loved).  Juvenile Law Center’s brief underscored  that under both federal and state law, preserving family unity remains the primary goal of the child welfare system.

In an unpublished decision, the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the lower court’s decision to uphold the per se rule adopted by juvenile court.