Click on other tabs above for information about legal aid providers and courts in your area. Below is legal information on this sub-topic. You can localize this information by clicking on the"Choose Another Location" link in the right column and selecting the area where you live.
Online Applications, Benefit Screening, Resources and Forms
Adoption Information and Forms
(Separate Website)
General information about the adoption process, post adoption information and available forms.
By: Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange
Petition to Waive Court Costs
Click the document title to be linked to LawHelp Interactive where you can prepare a Petition to Waive Court Fees which can be used to ask the Pennsylvania Court for permission to file legal papers for free. This form can be used in most types of court cases in Pennsylvania. Approval to waive fees is not automatic. You will need to ask the Court to approve your Petition. Instructions will be included. PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a fill-in-the-blank form; you will need to answer questions while connected to the Internet.
IMPORTANT: To use this form, you must use Internet Explorer as your browser and Microsoft Word to print your documents.
By: North Penn Legal Services
Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network
Adoption
(Separate Website)
Information on what has to be done before a child can be adopted.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Adoption - Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights
(Separate Website)
Information about the role of involuntary termination of parental rights in adoption proceedings.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Voluntary Relinquishment to Adult Intending to Adopt Child
(Separate Website)
Information on voluntarily relinquishing parental rights to a child.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Voluntary Relinquishment to Agency
(Separate Website)
Information on the process for voluntarily reliquishing parental rights to a child to an agency.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange
(Separate Website)
The Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange, which is part of the Department of Public Welfare, focuses on connecting Pennsylvania's waiting children and families who want to adopt. (adoptpakids.org)
By: Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Frequently Asked Questions about the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange
(Separate Website)
Lisring of the most commonly asked questions about the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange.
By: Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange
Eight Steps To Adoption
(Separate Website)
General information to help you understand the steps involved in adopting a child.
By: Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange
Pennsylvania's Adoption Medical History Registry
(Separate Website)
Information on the registry, which is operated by the Department of Public Welfare. The registry serves as a central repository for collecting and storing birth family medical information and adoptee requests. Registry services are available for all adoptions of Pennsylvania-born adoptees.
By: Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange
Adoption in Pennsylvania
(Separate Website)
Information on the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange and the Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN), a partnership among public and private agencies, which serves children in the custody of county children and youth agencies, who have a goal of adoption.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
AdoptUSKids.org
(Separate Website)
AdoptUSKids.org is a national photo listing service for children awaiting adoption across the United States.
By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Adoption Information
(Separate Website)
Resources on all aspects of domestic and intercountry adoption, including adoption from foster care. Includes information for prospective and adoptive parents; information about searching for birth relatives; and resources for professionals on recruiting adoptive families, preparing children and youth, supporting birth parents, and providing postadoption services.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search
(Separate Website)
The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory (formerly the National Adoption Directory) offers adoption and foster care resources by State.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Adoption
(Separate Website)
Information on the intercountry adoption process, where U.S. Citizens adopt children from overseas.
By: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Search and Reunion - Adoptions
(Separate Website)
Find information and resources on searching for birth relatives, reunion, obtaining birth and adoption records, support groups, and relevant laws and policies.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Related Organizations Search
(Separate Website)
The Related Organizations database contains information for organizations with a primary focus on adoption, child abuse and neglect, child welfare, or related issues.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Child Welfare Information Gateway
(Separate Website)
Child Welfare Information Gateway connects professionals and concerned citizens to timely, essential information and resources targeted to the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Inter-Country Adoptions
(Separate Website)
An overview of resources, materials and immigration benefits available to prospective adoptive parents of foreign-born orphans.
By: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Call to Report Child Abuse!!! - ChildLine and Abuse Registry
(Separate Website)
Reporting Child Abuse - Call 800-932-0313
The ChildLine and Abuse Registry Intake Unit is available 24 hours to receive reports of suspected child abuse.
Each call is answered by a trained intake specialist who will interview the caller to determine the most appropriate course of action.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Child Abuse & Neglect
(Separate Website)
Resources about child maltreatment, including definitions, signs and symptoms, statistics and prevalence, types of child abuse and neglect, risk and protective factors, the impact on individuals and society, and child fatalities.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Information on Local Support Procedures
(Separate Website)
Be sure to click on the
Court Informationtab above for additional information on support procedures that may be in effect in your county.
Philadelphia County: Support Forms
Forms from the Philadelphia Bar Association's Family Law Section that may be used in Support proceeding taking place in Philadelphia courts.
By: Philadelphia Bar Association
Paternity Forms from Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Information and forms that can be used to ask Philadelphia courts to determine paternity of a child.
By: Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Pennsylvania Child Support Program (PACSES)
(Separate Website)
Child Support Enforcement Services website of PA DPW
By: Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Pennsylvania EPPICard
(Separate Website)
Information and resources relating to the EPPICard Program in Pennsylvania. Custodial parents can now access their payments online using a MasterCard ® debit card. Your payments are automatically loaded onto the card and you can go to millions of MasterCard ATM and retailer locations in Pennsylvania and around the world to make purchases or receive cash.
By: eppicard.com
County-Specific Online Resources, Self-Help Resources and Forms
(Separate Website)
Click on the title ro view resources from the "Self Help (Pro Se) Forms and Information" subtopic.
By: PALawHELP.org
Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network
Child Support Information on child support
By: Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc.
General Pennsylvania Law About Support
(Separate Website)
General information about support law in Pennsylvania
By: Neighborhood Legal Services Association
Child Support Resources
(Separate Website)
Various resources on child support in Pennsylvania.
By: North Penn Legal Services
FAQ on Child Support for Primary Custodial Parents
(Separate Website)
Frequently asked questions on child support for custodial parents
By: North Penn Legal Services
FAQ on Child Support for Non-Custodial Parents
(Separate Website)
Frequently asked questions on child support for non-custodial parents
By: North Penn Legal Services
Child Support
(Separate Website)
Information on the payment of child support.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Child Support Law Overview (NW Pennsylvania)
(Separate Website)
Information on child support for northwestern Pennsylvania residents, how to get or change an order, and how the support is calculated.
By: Northwestern Legal Services
THE "LEGAL" BABY'S DADDY: What Men Need to Know
Information on the paternity of children for potential fathers.
By: Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Other Formats:
PDF File
THE "LEGAL" BABY'S DADDY: What Women Need to Know
Information on paternity of children for mothers.
By: Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Other Formats:
PDF File
Paternity and Child Support
(Separate Website)
Information on paternity determinations and child support.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Have You Been a Victim of Domestic Violence? You Can Claim "Good Cause" Not to File for Support
(Separate Website)
Information on domestic violence exemptions to the requirement that you file for child support when applying for public assistance.
By: Community Legal Services
You Can be Excused from Welfare Department Rules Because of Domestic Violence
(Separate Website)
Information on obtaining a waiver from welfare rules based on domestic violence.
By: Community Legal Services
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PALawHELP.org is provided as a public service by the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Legal Services Corporation.
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