Pennsylvania Superior Court Opinion On The Appeal Of Clinton County Children & Youth Services In The Interest Of L.B., A Minor

In this ruling issued on December 27, 2017, a Pennsylvania court ruled that drug use by a pregnant woman can meet the federal definition of child abuse under state law if the child experiences harm due to the mother’s drug use. The ruling was in an appeal filed by Clinton County Child Protective Services. Initially, the Clinton County Court, Juvenile Division had ruled that the state’s child protective services law did not consider the mother’s actions child abuse if they occurred before birth . . .