Dependency and Related Services

If you are a biological or adoptive parent, you have a court-active case in Allegheny County, and your income falls within the established guidelines establish for civil legal aid, you are entitled to an attorney at no cost to yourself.  Please visit the Juvenile Court Project for more information, hours, and an application.

A petition is the legal paper that asks the Court to take action. The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Family Division, provides a form that you may use to ask the Court to modify and/or enforce the provisions of a Permanent Legal Custodianship (PLC) Order that was previously issued at the close of a juvenile court dependency case. This form is called a Petition for Modification and/or Enforcement of Permanent Legal Custodianship Order.

Petition for Modification and/or Enforcement of Permanent Legal Custodianship Order

Shelter hearings are held in the Family Law Center, 440 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.  Please check in at the desk in the juvenile entrance (found at 550 Fifth Avenue) before your hearing.

Dependency hearings are held either at the Family Law Center, in downtown Pittsburgh, or at one of three regional sites.  Paperwork that you receive should tell you which facility to report to for your hearing.  The addresses for each facility are:

Family Law Center
440 Ross Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Central Regional Office
440 Ross Street, Room 337
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

East Regional Office
10 Duff Road
10 Corporate Center, Suite 208
Pittsburgh, PA 15235

Mon Valley Regional Office
355 Lincoln Highway
North Versailles, PA 15137

North Regional Office
1010 Western Avenue, Suite 301
(Northern Lights Tower)
Pittsburgh, PA 15233

South Regional Office
440 Ross Street, Room 337
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Shelter Hearings
440 Ross Street, Room 206
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

A dependency petition is the legal paper that asks the Court to supervise a family while they work with OCYF. This petition is usually filed by OCYF, but anyone may ask the Court for permission to file a dependency petition on behalf of a child.  The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Family Division, provides one form that you may use to both 1) obtain permission to file a dependency petition, and 2) file a dependency petition.  This form is called an Application to File Private Dependency Petition and Private Dependency Petition.

Further information and instructions, and the petition can be found here: LINK TO FILLABLE FORM

  • Individuals who wish to file a Petition for Emancipation of a Minor will find helpful information by clicking on the following link: https://jlc.org/resources/emancipation-or-living-away-your-parents-pennsylvaniaThe court process for filing a Petition for Emancipation of a Minor in Allegheny County is as follows:
    1. The Petitioner/Attorney shall contact the Dependency and Related Services Department of the Allegheny County Family Court at 412-350-7638 or via email at childprotection@alleghenycourt.us to obtain a docket number.
    2. The individual seeking emancipation must file a Petition for Emancipation of a Minor through the PACFILE system using the assigned docket number. The PACFile system is the electronic filing system with the courts of Pennsylvania on new and existing cases. To utilize the PACFile system, the individual must register for a secure use account. The link to PACFile is: https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/PACFile.asp
    3. The Petition for Emancipation of a Minor must include the following:
    4. Notice to all necessary parties. This would include, depending on the situation, the individual’s mother(s), father(s), and/or legal guardian(s).
    5. Certification Page listing the date a copy of the Petition for Emancipation of a Minor was provided to the necessary parties and how the Petition provided (ex., First Class Mail, e-mail, personal delivery, etc…).
    6. Written Averments indicating the reasons why the Court should consider the Emancipation of the Minor. These averments may refer to external documentation in support of such averments. Due to the potentially confidential nature of these exhibits, Petitioner/Counsel is directed to refer to the Exhibits within the Petition but they are not to be attached to the Petition being PacFiled.
    7. Proposed Order for the Court to schedule a hearing on the Petition for Emancipation of a Minor. This proposed order shall indicate the Petition is (1) scheduled for a hearing, or (2) denied.
    8. The Petition for Emancipation of a Minor shall be presented to a Judge on a Motions Day. At that time, the Court shall decide whether a hearing should be scheduled or deny the Petition. Should the Judge grant a hearing on the Petition for Emancipation of a Minor, the Court will provide a date and time when the hearing will occur. It shall be the responsibility of the Petitioner/Counsel to ensure that all necessary parties receive notice of the scheduling order.
    9. If a Hearing on the Petition for Emancipation of a Minor is scheduled, the Petitioner/Counsel shall present any supplemental documentation or evidence in support of the averments. If the Court determines there is sufficient evidence to grant the emancipation, the Court shall enter and order emancipating the minor, which shall be filed with the Department of Court Records.

If you suspect child abuse or would like to make a report, you can call the Allegheny County OCYF Intake Office (412-473-2000) or Pennsylvania ChildLine (1-800-932-0313).

If your CYF case closed when you were 17 ¾ or older and you are under the age of 21, you may be eligible to re-open your CYF case if you are in need of help.  You can contact KidsVoice (412-391-3100) or OCYF (1-800-862-6783) for more information about the process and for help starting the process.

  1. There are two locations for drug screening:
  3. Pittsburgh Drug Screening Laboratory
    440 Ross Street, Room 2033
    Pittsburgh, PA 15219McKeesport Drug Screening Laboratory
    339 Fifth Avenue
    Wander Building
    McKeesport, PA 15132Please contact your OCYF caseworker for information about hours of operation and the process you should follow to obtain your screen.

For more information and to begin the process, please contact Women’s Health Services or Allegheny Reproductive Health Center.

For more information, please visit the Office of Children and Families in the Courts and/or KidsVoice.

During your hearing, the following people will be present: the judge and their staff, other court personnel, a sheriff’s deputy, your attorney if you have one, your child’s attorney, the CYF caseworker, CYF’s attorney, and any other witnesses or providers that the court has deemed necessary.

There are vending machines available on the first floor, in the second floor waiting room, and near the main stairwell on the third floor.

The Director’s Action Line can provide information about OCYF services, as well as respond to question, complaints and concerns.  The Director’s Action Line can be reached by telephone at 1-800-862-6783 or via email at DAL@alleghenycounty.us

If you have questions about your scheduled genetic testing and where to go, please contact your CYF caseworker.

IMPACT is located at:

 

Family Law Center

440 Ross Street, Room 309

Pittsburgh, PA 15219