Navigating your Pennsylvania county's Family Court can be a confusing and exhausting process. Below are some resources that may assist you with contacting your county and arranging hearings, as well as information regarding school districts, supervised visitation centers, domestic violence, and the like.
Philadelphia County
24 Hour Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline: (866) 723-3014
The Domestic Violence Hotline is run by Women Against Abuse and offers free crisis intervention, safety planning, resources and referrals. All calls are confidential and anonymous.
Philadelphia County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are volunteers who are appointed by family law judge to investigate and advocate on behalf of children when allegations of abuse or neglect have been made.
Philadelphia County Divorce Support Groups
Psychology Today provides a directory of support groups for individuals and families going through the divorce process. These groups are diverse in nature and include art therapy, anger management, discussion groups, parent/child groups, and many more.
Philadelphia County Schools
The School District of Philadelphia oversees all public K-12 schools in the city. In addition to working with parents regarding the educational needs of children, the District offers free summer programs.
Philadelphia Family Court - (215) 686-4100
The Family Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas encompasses the divisions of: Juvenile Court Operations, Juvenile Probation, and Children and Youth Services (Adoptions).
Philadelphia Protection from Abuse Orders
A Protection from Abuse Order (PFA) can be otherwise referred to as a restraining order. This is an order made by a judge which limits the contact that the person who committed the acts of abuse can have with the person who requests the order.
Women Against Abuse
Women Against Abuse is a nonprofit advocacy and service provider to victims of domestic violence in Philadelphia. WAA operates shelters and offers a variety of services including educational programming, legal services, and emergency services.
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Family Court - (610) 278-3646
Montgomery County Court Domestic Relations division handles matters of Family Law. The division handles all issues related to divorce, support, and custody.
Protection From Abuse - (610) 278-1191
Montgomery County's Protection from abuse unit issues orders for protection from abuse to victims. The unit also offers a 24 hour hotline as well.
Montgomery County Schools
Montgomery County does not directly manage its multitude of school districts, but instead provides a full list of schools and their respective townships.
Delaware County
Delaware County Family Court Website - (610) 891-4314
The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas uses its Domestic Relations division to resolve all matters of Family Law. The Domestic Relations division makes use of a full case management strategy for residents involved in issues handled by Domestic Relations.
Protection From Abuse - (610) 565-4590
Delaware County offers a Protection From Abuse service to residents suffering form abuse. Residents can contact this unit for a Protection From Abuse order, similar to a restraining order.
Delaware County Schools
Delaware County does not manage its K-12 school districts as a county. Instead each district in the county retains its own management, however, the county provides a list for each contact.
Bucks County
Bucks County Family Court Website - (215) 310-8068
The Bucks County Court of Common Pleas handles all matters of Family Law in its Domestic Relations division. The Domestic Relations division has services ranging from working out support agreements to a Family Violence unit.
Protection From Abuse - (215) 348-6822
Bucks County offers a Protection From Abuse unit. Residents can request protection from abuse orders from the court if they are in danger of or experiencing abuse.
Bucks County Schools
Bucks County does not have an overarching county-wide school district, instead, each township or borough maintains its own schools independently. A list of all schools is provided at Bucks County Alive.
Chester County
Chester County Family Court Website - (610) 344-6405
Chester County's Court of Common Pleas handles all matters of Family Law in its Family Court. The Family Court is divided into Domestic Relations, Juvenile Court, and Dependency Court.
Chester County Protection From Abuse - (888) 711-6270
Chester County provides a dedicated unit for Protection From Abuse. This unit allows for court issuances of retraining orders against abusive partners. Chester County allows for emergency, after-hours protection from abuse orders.
Chester County Schools
All public schools grades K-12 are managed by the Chester County School District. The district offers some summer programs, and as of Summer 2016, the district has launched a free lunch program through the summer months.
Department of Children, Youth, and Families - (610) 344-5800
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families is a division of the Chester County Court that provides dedicated social services families. The agency attempts to provide services that cannot normally be provided by a family's friends, neighbors or extended family.
Other Services
Supervised Visitation Centers
If you have a custody agreement with supervised visitation, a list of supervised visitation centers across Pennsylvania can be found here.
Pennsylvania Statewide Child Support Program
Pennsylvania's statewide child support services rely on PACSES, an electronic system for enforcing and managing support payments for residents of the state.
Pennsylvania Department Of Human Services
Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services serves residents of the state with child welfare services, along with a number of other family services.
