In the Int. of: L.O.C., a Minor

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 30, 2025
Docket223 MDA 2025
StatusUnpublished

This text of In the Int. of: L.O.C., a Minor (In the Int. of: L.O.C., a Minor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In the Int. of: L.O.C., a Minor, (Pa. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

J-A15012-25

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

IN THE INTEREST OF: L.O.C., A : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF MINOR : PENNSYLVANIA : : APPEAL OF: L.R., MOTHER : : : : : No. 223 MDA 2025

Appeal from the Decree Entered January 16, 2025 In the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County Orphans' Court at No(s): 88974

BEFORE: BOWES, J., STABILE, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.*

MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: FILED JUNE 30, 2025

L.R. (“Mother”) appeals from the decree granting the petition filed by

Berks County Children and Youth Services (“BCCYS”), which involuntarily

terminated Mother’s parental rights to her son, L.O.C., born in August 2022.1

We affirm.

We glean the factual and procedural history of this matter from the

certified record. Mother was born in New York, raised in Puerto Rico, and

moved to Pennsylvania in 1993. Her primary language was Spanish, but she

also spoke English and graduated from high school in Pennsylvania. She first

____________________________________________

* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.

1 L.O.C.’s father, J.C. (“Father”), also had his parental rights involuntarily terminated. His attorney was present at the termination hearing, but claimed no position due to Father’s absence. Father has not filed an appeal. J-A15012-25

became known to BCCYS in 2010 when her four older children were placed in

foster care. At the time, the agency had concerns about medical neglect, drug

and alcohol abuse, lack of stable and suitable housing, domestic violence,

inappropriate discipline, and lack of appropriate parenting skills. Upon

completion of services, Mother was reunited with her children in 2012.

Thereafter, BCCYS reengaged with Mother in 2019, 2020, and 2021

because the agency had concerns similar to those that prompted its

involvement in 2012. Each time, Mother rectified the problematic conditions,

and the children were returned to her care. During BCCYS’s involvement in

2021, Mother met Father. He lived with Mother and her four children in her

apartment, and Mother became pregnant with L.O.C. One month after L.O.C.

was born, BCCYS closed the 2021 case. Shortly thereafter, Mother filed a

Protection from Abuse (“PFA”) petition against Father naming herself and the

five children as protected parties. She alleged that Father came home drunk,

pinned her down on the bed, grabbed a hunting knife, and threatened to kill

L.O.C. A temporary PFA order was entered, but Mother withdrew the petition

three days later.

Pertinently, BCCYS became involved once more in December 2023,

following reports of the parents’ drug use and domestic violence, and Father

abusing the children. Mother tested positive for methamphetamines and

amphetamines, while Father refused testing. BCCYS implemented a safety

-2- J-A15012-25

plan placing all five of Mother’s children with their maternal aunts, and

allowing Mother and Father to have supervised visits.

In seeking dependency for L.O.C., the agency cited ongoing concerns

relative to Mother and Father’s hostile behavior, domestic violence, drug and

alcohol use, and inability to appropriately care for L.O.C. During this time,

one of Mother’s daughters also disclosed that she had been sexually abused

by Father. An indicated report identified him as the perpetrator.2

Nonetheless, Mother repeatedly denied her daughter’s allegations against

Father.

L.O.C. was declared dependent on May 5, 2023, and BCCYS established

his placement goal as reunification with a concurrent goal of adoption. He

was placed in a pre-adoptive foster care home where he has remained during

these proceedings. Concerning L.O.C.’s half-siblings, Mother consented to

have her rights terminated as to her eldest son, and he has been adopted by

his maternal uncle. Her firstborn daughter was placed with her father, but

has since returned to BCCYS’s custody. The other two children have been

taken care of by their fathers.

Relative to L.O.C.’s placement, Mother was assigned several

permanency goals based on the aforementioned concerns. She was also

2 Father also has a lengthy criminal history.See BCCYS Exhibit 34. However, no criminal charges were filed against Father for the indicated report of sexual abuse against Mother’s daughter.

-3- J-A15012-25

directed to participate in parenting education, a non-offending parent

evaluation, a mental health assessment, a drug and alcohol screening, random

urinalyses, domestic violence classes, supervised visitation, and casework

services through BCCYS. Further, she was required to obtain stable and

appropriate housing and income, and to inform BCCYS of any changes.

The reports of the permanency hearings reveal that in October 2023,

Mother was substantially compliant with the permanency plan and made

moderate progress towards alleviating circumstances necessitating

placement. See BCCYS Exhibit 4. In March 2024, Mother was found to be

substantially compliant with the plan, but her progress was minimal. See

BCCYS Exhibit 5. Lastly, in August 2024, Mother was deemed moderately

compliant, but again made minimal progress towards her goals. See BCCYS

Exhibit 7.

Meanwhile, on July 15, 2024, BCCYS filed the instant petition to

involuntarily terminate Mother’s parental rights pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.

§ 2511(a)(1), (2), (5), (8), and (b). The court appointed counsel for Mother

and L.O.C.3

At the ensuing termination hearing, BCCYS presented Lisa Reigle,

Mother’s Partners in Parenting trainer, who testified about Mother’s weekly

3 Attorney Ashley Esposito served as guardian ad litem and court-appointed

counsel for L.O.C. in conformity with 23 Pa.C.S. § 2313(a). The orphans’ court found that Attorney Esposito’s dual representation did not create a conflict between the child’s legal interest and best interests.

-4- J-A15012-25

four-hour supervised visitations with L.O.C. Although Mother understood

most of the curricula for her parental training, which was in English, she did

not read the written materials or complete homework. Ms. Reigle attempted

to read the content aloud to Mother, but she was easily distracted, and Mother

often lost attention or wandered away when Ms. Reigle showed video lessons.

BCCYS did not offer, nor did Mother request, that any of the materials be

translated to Spanish.

Ms. Reigle discovered Mother responded better to hands-on instruction.

However, even after acknowledging that she understood the concepts that Ms.

Reigle had demonstrated, Mother did not implement some of the lessons. For

example, Ms. Reigle had to repeatedly teach Mother how to cut the two-year-

old child’s food so that he would not choke. Similarly, Mother required more

than ten months of instruction before implementing Ms. Reigle’s basic advice

concerning L.O.C.’s cell phone privileges. Essentially, Ms. Reigle was

concerned about Mother’s ability to parent her son without assistance.

Furthermore, Mother attended the parenting classes inconsistently. Ms.

Reigle testified that Mother missed five to six parental training sessions in the

three months preceding the termination hearing. In an effort to accommodate

Mother’s schedule, Ms. Reigle offered morning sessions. However, Mother

claimed not to be a “morning person” and refused to reschedule during those

hours. See N.T.

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Related

Adoption of: M.A.B., A Minor, Appeal of: Erie OCY
166 A.3d 434 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2017)

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In the Int. of: L.O.C., a Minor, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-int-of-loc-a-minor-pasuperct-2025.