To get children in stable homes faster, new Florida law tougher on parents' rights, timetable

Parents whose children are in protective custody will have less time to get them back before their parental rights can be terminated, under a new Florida law.

The law, called A Year is a Long Time In the Life of a Child, aims to save money and get neglected and abused children into permanent homes faster by showing parents a tougher hand.

More >> To get children in stable homes faster, new Florida law tougher on parents' rights, timetable

Bill Allowing Child Visitation for Parents Whose Rights Are Terminated Set to Become Law

Family court judges in New York currently can’t allow any kind of contact between a parent and their child after parental rights have been terminated—but that’s likely to change after the state Legislature approved a bill addressing the issue last week.

More >> Bill Allowing Child Visitation for Parents Whose Rights Are Terminated Set to Become Law

Montana Supreme Court overturns parental rights termination

The state failed to make a reasonable effort to reunite a woman with the son who was taken away from her after he was born with methamphetamine in his system, the Montana Supreme Court ruled.

The justices unanimously overturned the July 2018 termination of the mother's parental rights and ordered the Division of Child and Family Services to work to reunite the woman with her son, who has lived with foster parents in Billings since his birth in October 2016.

More >> Montana Supreme Court overturns parental rights termination

Legislation to Allow Family Contact After Termination of Parental Rights Expected to Move

State law in New York prevents family court judges from allowing any kind of contact between a parent and their child after parental rights have been terminated, but lawmakers are renewing a push to change that in the final weeks of this year’s legislative session.

More >> Legislation to Allow Family Contact After Termination of Parental Rights Expected to Move

Gov. Walz signs parental rights law with concerns from child welfare experts

After it passed both the House and Senate unanimously, Governor Tim Walz on Monday signed a bill into law that will give Minnesotans a chance to have their parental rights restored.

While lawmakers aren't split on the new law, child welfare experts are.

More >> Gov. Walz signs parental rights law with concerns from child welfare experts

Courts: DCS failed to comply with state law in termination hearing

The Indiana Court of Appeals says the Department of Child Services failed to notify a mother of a hearing that terminated her parental rights and criticized the agency’s ability to adhere to Indiana law.

In a ruling this week, the court concluded DCS failed to send notice to the mother’s last known address at least 10 days before a hearing that terminated her parent-child relationship.

More >> Courts: DCS failed to comply with state law in termination hearing

Terminating parental rights on the rise

According to experts, cases involving terminating the parents’ right to their children are on the rise.

More >> Terminating parental rights on the rise

Termination of Parental Rights debated in Mississippi Senate

It was an emotional day at the Mississippi State Capitol . Wednesday was the deadline for floor action on general bills that originated in the other chamber. But that didn't speed things up in the Senate. They spent three hours debating this bill about terminating parental rights.

More >> Termination of Parental Rights debated in Mississippi Senate

A trial by jury for parents in danger of losing parental rights?

A trial by jury for parents in danger of losing parental rights?

Should it be easier or harder to terminate the rights of parents whose kids have been taken away by Social Services?

Law Makes Adoption of Foster Kids Easier

Law Makes Adoption of Foster Kids Easier


Adoptions involving foster children will be streamlined in Alabama under a new law Gov. Robert Bentley has signed.

Tweet of the Day!!

Thanks to Edgar Garcia for today's Tweet.

https://twitter.com/Edgar2878

COA holds that a parent may be convicted of unlawfully taking his child if his parental rights have been terminated

COA holds that a parent may be convicted of unlawfully taking his child if his parental rights have been terminated


In People v. Wambar the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the defendant’s conviction for assisting in the unlawful taking of a child, despite the fact that the defendant was the child’s biological father, because the defendant’s parental rights had been terminated.

Child welfare agencies quicker to terminate parents’ rights

Child welfare agencies quicker to terminate parents’ rights

Addicted to drugs and alcohol, the 44-year-old Hazleton woman said she knew she had to get clean or she’d likely lose her children forever.

In Japan, Child-Abusing Parents Retain Parental Rights

In Japan, Child-Abusing Parents Retain Parental Rights


Several facts stood out to me from the recent report on the record-high number of child abuse cases in Japan in 2010. One was that in the previous three months, only seven petitions to temporarily suspend parental rights were presented to the court. And of those, only one was granted. Realize that these were not petitions to end parental rights, just to suspend them for up to two years.

Courts cannot grant visitation rights after parental rights end: NY Appeals Court

Courts cannot grant visitation rights after parental rights end: NY Appeals Court

Family courts in New York do not have the authority to permit contact between a parent and a child once parental rights have been terminated, the state's top court has ruled, resolving a conflict between midlevel appeals courts.

From Mom to Not in Seven Minutes: Inside Family Court

From Mom to Not in Seven Minutes: Inside Family Court

A woman in a white puffy coat and her lawyer sit at a blond-wood conference table on the left side of the courtroom. On the right, a lawyer for the city and a caseworker from the city’s child protective agency fill a twin conference table. A lawyer for the child who is the focus of the hearing sits at a small side table, barricaded by stacks of folders and binders.

Maine supreme court sides with man trying to gain custody of son

Maine supreme court sides with man trying to gain custody of son

It wasn’t until January 2010, four months after the boy was born, that Ryan Masoner was told he was a father and that a couple in Hancock County had been appointed temporary guardians of his son.

http://www.courts.state.me.us/opinions_orders/opinions/2012_documents/12me45to.pdf

Reinstatement of Parental Rights

Reinstatement of Parental Rights

Every State has statutes providing for the termination of parental rights by a court. Termination of parental rights, which can be voluntary or involuntary, ends the legal parent-child relationship. Once parental rights have been terminated, the child is legally free to be placed for adoption.

Guatemalan child case now in judge’s hands

Guatemalan child case now in judge’s hands

The future of a 4-year-old Guatemalan child now lies in the hands of District Judge Michael Gonzales, and regardless of his decision, it won’t be a happy ending for somebody.

Foster parents who want to adopt, want your rights to be terminated.

Court Today

The girls had court today. They came to us as an adoptive placement that is considered a legal risk. Basically that means that they have not terminated their parents rights and there is chance that it may not happen.