Utah Admin. Code R512-301-5 - Guidelines for Making Recommendations for Reunification to the Court
(1) In accordance with Section
62A-4a-205, when considering
reunification, the child's health, safety, and welfare shall be the paramount
concern.
(2) The child and family
team shall consider the following factors in determining whether to recommend
that the court order reunification:
(a) the
risk factors that led to the placement were acute rather than
chronic;
(b) the child and family
assessments, including the safety, risk, and family functioning assessments, as
well as any other pertinent assessments, conclude that the parent appears to
have or has developed the ability to ensure the child's safety and provide a
nurturing environment;
(c) the
parent is committed to the child and indicates a desire to have the child
returned home;
(d) the child has a
desire for reunification, as determined using age appropriate
assessments;
(e) members of the
child and family team support a reunification plan;
(f) if the parent is no longer living with
the individual who severely abused the minor, reunification may be considered
when the parent can implement a plan that ensures the child's ongoing safety;
and
(g) existence of factors or
exceptions that preclude reunification as specified in Section
80-3-406.
(3) Child and Family Services shall provide
additional relevant facts, when available, to assist the court in making a
determination regarding the appropriateness of reunification services, such as:
(a) the parent's failure to respond to
previous services or child and family plans;
(b) the child being abused while the parent
was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and whether the parent's substance
abuse continues to impact their ability to safely parent;
(c) continuation of a chaotic, dysfunctional
lifestyle;
(d) the parent's past
history of violent behavior and whether any behavioral changes have been made
to address that behavior; and
(e)
the testimony of a properly qualified professional or expert witness that the
parent's behavior is unlikely to be successfully changed.
Notes
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