A Blair County mother with a severe drug problem has lost her parental rights, according to an opinion issued last week by the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

The opinion by a three-judge panel upheld a January decision by Blair County Judge David B. Consiglio, who rejected the mother’s argument that she resolved a criminal case against her, successfully completed drug and alcohol treatment and “did everything legally possible to see her children (ages two and four) and was denied at every turn.”

The panel that included judges Anne E. Lazarus, Mary Jane Bowes and Timika Lane concluded that the mother failed to cite case law to support her legal argument and therefore waived her claim.

Consiglio, in his opinion, reported that the mother had some contact with the children while she was an inmate of the Blair County Prison on a probation violation, but, as he also pointed out, the mother’s contact with her children was interrupted when it was discovered that she had methamphetamine and suboxone hidden in a sock.

The discovery was investigated by Hollidaysburg police and additional criminal charges were filed against the mother.

After spending a year behind bars, she completed an inpatient rehabilitation program and began residing at Sojourner House, a rehabilitation program for families, during which time she had visits with the children every two weeks.

However, by that point, the children had been living with a foster family, and in May 2025, the court approved a request by Blair County Children, Youth and Families to change the agency’s goal from reunification with the mother to adoption of the children by their foster family.

On Sept. 23, 2025, the Blair child welfare agency petitioned the court for termination of the mother’s parental rights.

Hearings were held in October and December, with the children represented by a court-appointed lawyer.

The mother, it was stated, was then pregnant with another child.

In January, the Blair judge granted the petition to terminate the mother’s parental rights to the young children.

The question as presented to the Superior Court was whether the judge had erred in terminating the mother’s parental rights.

The history of the case began in February 2024, when Blair CYF obtained emergency custody of the children after a visit to the mother’s home.

A caseworker “discovered the children were present and there were syringes laying out that were accessible to the children.”

The mother tested positive for methamphetamines, and, it was determined, she was on probation.

The children went to foster care and the court held reviews of the case throughout 2024 and into 2025.

Those reviews indicated the mother “was not progressing toward reunification with the children.”

It was also revealed that the mother continued to possess illegal drugs while in prison.

Consiglio, in his opinion, stated, “Since at least February of 2024, (the mother) has demonstrated a continued incapacity and neglect of the children.”

He noted that when finally released from prison, the mother “began to progress, engaging in counseling, completing her treatment at Pyramid (Healthcare) and advancing to Sojourner House.”

The mother argued that during her visits with the children, she developed a bond with them.

The judge, in his opinion, questioned how much of a bond could exist, given the age of the children, and he also questioned the mother’s credibility “in light of her history and the fact she continues to take marijuana illegally while pregnant with another child.”

The Superior Court opinion stated that given the mother’s history of illicit drug use and incarceration, “We will not disturb (Consiglio’s) finding.”

The appeals court cited the conclusion by Consiglio that the children are living in a stable and loving environment provided by the foster family and that there is no evidence that severing the bond with the natural mother “will cause the children to suffer any emotional consequence.”

The court pointed out that the foster family has also taken in another older child of the mother.

The young children, it was reported, are “very attached” to their older sister.