THE PETITIONER DID NOT DEMONSTRATE IT MADE DILIGENT EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP IN THIS TERMINATION-OF-PARENTAL-RIGHTS PROCEEDING; PERMANENT NEGLECT FINDING VACATED; CRITERIA EXPLAINED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court, determined petitioner in this termination-of-parental-rights proceeding, did not demonstrate make a diligent effort to encourage and strengthen the parent-child relationship. ‘the permanent neglect finding was vacated:

“When a foster care agency brings a proceeding to terminate parental rights on the ground of permanent neglect, it must, as a threshold matter, prove by clear and convincing evidence that it has fulfilled its statutory duty to exercise diligent efforts to encourage and strengthen the parent-child relationship” (… see Social Services Law § 384-b[7][a]). “Those efforts must include counseling, making suitable arrangements for parental access, providing assistance to the parents to resolve the problems preventing the child’s discharge, and advising the parents of the child’s progress and development” … . “An agency must always determine the particular problems facing a parent with respect to the return of his or her child and make affirmative, repeated, and meaningful efforts to assist the parent in overcoming these handicaps” … .

Here, the petitioner failed to meet its initial burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that it exercised diligent efforts to strengthen the parental relationship between the father and the children … . The evidence adduced at the fact-finding hearing failed to establish that the petitioner arranged any parental access between the father and the children, referred the father to any services, or assisted the father with obtaining suitable housing. Matter of Elijah L. Jr. (Elijah L.), 2026 NY Slip Op 03963, Second Dept 6-24-26

Practice Point: In a termination-of-parental-rights proceeding the agency must demonstrate that diligent efforts to strengthen the parent-child relationship were made. Here the proof of diligent efforts was lacking.