Rule 15.5. Certification Filed with the Clerk Maintaining the Dependency Docket

(a) Within seven days of the filing of a petition to terminate parental rights under Rules 15.7, 15.8, 15.9, or 15.10, or a petition to adopt under Rule 15.13, the county agency shall file a praecipe with the clerk of the court where the child was declared dependent using the caption of the dependency proceeding, notifying that clerk of the name of the petition filed and the date of its filing in substantially the form approved by the Supreme Court.

(b) Within seven days of receiving the court’s disposition of the petitions described in paragraph (a), the county agency shall file a praecipe with the clerk of the court where the child was declared dependent using the caption of the dependency proceeding, notifying that clerk of the disposition of the petition and the date of the order in substantially the form approved by the Supreme Court.

(c) If a notice of appeal from an order described in paragraph (b) is filed, then within seven days of service of the notice of appeal, the county agency shall file a praecipe with the clerk of the court where the child was declared dependent using the caption of the dependency proceeding, notifying that clerk of the appeal and the date of its filing in substantially the form approved by the Supreme Court.

(d) Within seven days of receiving the appellate court’s disposition of the appeal described in paragraph (c), the county agency shall file a praecipe with the clerk of the court where the child was declared dependent using the caption of the dependency proceeding, notifying that clerk of the disposition of the appeal and the date of the decision in substantially the form approved by the Supreme Court.

Explanatory Comment The purpose of the Rule is to provide a procedure for collecting data concerning children who have been declared dependent under the Juvenile Act and placed in the custody of the county agency. The information is entered into the Common Pleas Case Management System-Dependency Module to comply with reporting requirements and to monitor dependent children in the foster care system. Unlike a ‘‘notice,’’ as used in Rule 15.4, the county agency is not required to serve the praecipe upon the parties to the dependency, termination, or adoption proceeding. The definition of ‘‘county agency’’ as used in this Rule is that contained in Pa.R.J.C.P. 1120. Pursuant to Rule 1.8 (Forms), the Supreme Court has approved forms for statewide practice to comply with the requirements of this Rule. These forms can be found in the Appendix to these Rules.