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Juveniles: Child Abuse, Dependency and Delinquency
  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.
There are 15 resources  
   Report Child Abuse - (1)
   Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network - (5)
   Information from Other Legal Aid Providers - (2)
   Information from Bar Associations and Other Legal Organizations - (4)
   Information from Government Agencies - (3)
  Report Child Abuse
 
   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
  
   
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  Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network
 
   What is Dependency? (Separate Website)
Information on what constitues a "Dependent Child."
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.
 
  
   
   What is Delinquency? (Separate Website)
Information on what constitutes a "Delinquent Child."
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
 
  
   
   Delinquency - Prehearing Detention of Child (Separate Website)
Information on how a delinquent child my be detained.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
 
  
   
   Delinquency - Shelter Hearing/Informal Hearing (Separate Website)
Information on hearing rights relating to a child placed in detention or shelter care.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
 
  
   
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  Information from Other Legal Aid Providers
 
   Know Your Rights: A Guide for Youth in Substitute Care This link opens a PDF file in a new window.  If you do not have an accessible Acrobat Reader, a link is provided at the bottom of this page. (Separate Website)
This is a guide for dependent youth in out-of-home care in Pennsylvania. Youth in care have all the same wants, needs, and hopes for the future that all youth have. If you are a youth in care you have rights to assistance and protection. This guide will provide you with information about your rights while you are in care. This guide will offer suggestions for how you can prepare to leave the system and meet your goals as a successful, happy, healthy, and productive adult.
By: Juvenile Law Center and KidsVoice
  
   
   Child Abuse and the Law This link opens a PDF file in a new window.  If you do not have an accessible Acrobat Reader, a link is provided at the bottom of this page. (Separate Website)
This manual familiarizes the professional and the lay reader with Pennsylvania?s child abuse and neglect laws and regulations. The aim of this publication is to clarify the role of the various laws and regulations in issue and to clarify the complicated process of state intervention in the family.
By: Juvenile Law Center
  
   
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  Information from Bar Associations and Other Legal Organizations
 
   Dependent Child Proceedings (Separate Website)
Information on dependent child proceedings from the Erie County Bar Association.
By: Erie County Bar Association
  
   
   Juvenile Delinquency (Separate Website)
Information on the legal issues concerning juvenile delinquency proceedings from the Erie County Bar Association.
By: Erie County Bar Association
  
   
   Frequently Asked Questions - Youth and the Law (Separate Website)
Answers to common questions about youth and the law.
By: Allegheny County Bar Association
  
   
   A Parent's Guide to Juvenile Court This link opens a PDF file in a new window.  If you do not have an accessible Acrobat Reader, a link is provided at the bottom of this page. (Separate Website)
This booklet is written to help participants in the Juvenile Court Project of the Allegheny Bar Foundation understand their rights in the Juvenile Court Dependency and Termination of Parental Rights process. This guide also provides information about the client's responsibilities and the responsibilities of the attorney.
By: Juvenile Court Project of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation
  
   
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  Information from Government Agencies
 
   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 / Espaņol
  
   
   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
  
   
   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
  
   
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