Termination of Parental Rights and/or Placement

Parental rights are defined as the legal relationship between a parent and a child. This legal relationship includes the parent's responsibility to support the child financially, the parent's right to custody and/or visitation, and the ability to make educational, religious, or medical decisions for the child. Courts need objective proof that termination is in the best interest of the child. Judges often hesitate to terminate parental rights, even voluntarily.

Another parental court situation occurs when parents cannot agree or change their minds about placement and custody. In either of these situations, information will need to submitted to the court about the parent and their ability to provide a safe and stable home environment. The judge will focus on giving the child a stable arrangement that is in their best interest.

Reports that provide objective information to the court about the factors that the judge considers at the time of such hearings can be helpful. These reports provide information that is found in a psychosocial report but also contain information information about home environment and pertinent information about the youth and their relationship to the parent.