Right to Appeal
This memo serves to inform you of your right to appeal the decision of Twin Pines Family Services, LLC to approve, provisionally approve, deny, or revoke your foster parent license with the agency in accordance with 55 Pa. Code § 3700.72.
Foster parents may appeal the relocation of a child from the foster family EXCEPT under one of the following conditions:
▪ The child has been with the foster family less than 6 months.
▪ The removal is initiated by the court.
▪ The removal is to return the child to his parents.
▪ The removal is to place the child for adoption.
▪ An investigation of a report of alleged child abuse indicates the need for protective custody removal to protect the child from further serious physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or serious physical neglect as defined in Chapter 3490 (relating to protective services).
As a third-party agency, Twin Pines Family Services, LLC does not reserve the right to relocate a child unless otherwise approved by the placing county and the courts. You have the right to be notified within 15 days prior to the relocation of the child.
The following are the steps required to formally appeal the denial or revocation of a foster parent license:
(a) Twin Pines Family Services, LLC shall give written notice to each applicant of its decision to approve, disapprove, or provisionally approve the foster family. The written notice shall inform the foster parents that they may appeal the decision to disapprove or provisionally approve the foster family.
(b) Foster parents who wish to appeal a decision to disapprove or provisionally approve the foster family shall submit to the agency a written appeal, postmarked no later than 15 calendar days from the date of the written notice. The appeals are subject to Title 9003 of the DPW Manual to be codified at Chapter 30 (relating to licensure or approval appeal procedures).
(c) Upon receipt of the foster parent appeal, Twin Pines Family Services, LLC shall date stamp the appeal. The agency shall review the appeal and determine if steps can be taken to resolve the appeal without a hearing. If, after considering the appeal, the agency is unable to resolve issues of disagreement, the appeal shall be sent to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, Post Office Box 2675, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105 within 15 calendar days of the date stamp.
(e) Subsection (c) supersedes the appeal period of 1 Pa. Code § 35.20 (relating to appeals from actions of the staff).
Should you have any questions at any point throughout the appeal process, you may contact our office by calling 724-439-4663 or you may email us at info@twin-pines.org.