When parental rights are in question, the court’s overarching goal is to present an outcome that keeps the child’s best interests in mind. This means creating a situation in which the child has the best possible chance of growing and developing into a well-adjusted, happy, and healthy adult. This can involve granting custody to a single parent, splitting custody between both parents, or placing children with foster care or another family member.
Parental rights are not set in stone. When there is clear evidence of abuse or neglect of children by both parents, it may be in the children’s best interest for them to be removed from the home and for parental rights to be terminated. Parents can lose their parental rights for many reasons, including physical abuse, continual neglect, sexual abuse, abandonment, alcohol or drug abuse, or murder of another one of their children.
Unfortunately, the court may sometimes grant termination of parental rights incorrectly. Allegations of neglect may be unfounded, or the parenting technique a couple employs may fall outside of what is considered socially acceptable without actually resulting in harm to a child. In these cases, parents fighting to maintain their rights may be able to hire a parental rights termination attorney to fight the government’s intrusion in their lives.
Reinstatement of parental rights is rarely allowed in most states once the process of termination has been completed. However, when the child has not received a permanent foster home placement, a parent may be able to successfully petition the court to show that he or she has taken the necessary steps to once again be considered a safe and fit parent.