reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
GA Code § 15-11-284 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 3 - Petition and Summons|§ 15-11-284. Notice of Effect of Termination Judgment

 The notice required to be given to the mother, the biological father, and legal father of the child shall state: "NOTICE OF EFFECT OF TERMINATION JUDGMENT Georgia law provides that you can permanently lose your rights as a parent. A petition to terminate parental rights has been filed requesting the court to terminate your parental rights to your child. A copy of the petition to terminate parental rights is attached to this notice. A court hearing of your case has been scheduled for the __________ day of ____________, __________, at  (time of day)  , at the ____________ Court of ____________ County. If you fail to appear, the court can terminate your rights in your absence. If the court at the trial finds that the facts set out in the petition to terminate parental rights are true and that termination of your rights will serve the best interests of your child, the court can enter a judgment ending your rights to your child. If the judgment terminates your parental rights, you will no longer have any rights to your child. This means that you will not have the right to visit, contact, or have custody of your child or make any decisions affecting your child or your child's earnings or property. Your child will be legally freed to be adopted by someone else. Even if your parental rights are terminated: (1) You will still be responsible for providing financial support (child support payments) for your child's care unless and until your child is adopted; and (2) Your child can still inherit from you unless and until your child is adopted. This is a very serious matter. You should contact an attorney immediately so that you can be prepared for the court hearing. You have the right to hire an attorney and to have him or her represent you. If you cannot afford to hire an attorney, the court will appoint an attorney if the court finds that you are an indigent person. Whether or not you decide to hire an attorney, you have the right to attend the hearing of your case, to call witnesses on your behalf, and to question those witnesses brought against you. If you have any questions concerning this notice, you may call the telephone number of the clerk's office which is ____________."    (Code 1981, §15-11-284, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)
GA Code § 15-11-285 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 3 - Petition and Summons|§ 15-11-285. Sanctions for Failure to Obey Summons

  If any person named in and properly served with a summons shall without reasonable cause fail to appear or, when directed in the summons, to bring the child named in the petition pursuant to this article before the court, then the court may issue a rule nisi against the person, directing the person to appear before the court to show cause why he or she should not be held in contempt of court.   If a summons cannot be served or if the person to whom the summons is directed fails to obey it, the court may issue an order to take the child named in the petition pursuant to this article into protective custody.     (Code 1981, §15-11-285, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)
GA Code § 15-11-300 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 4 - Hearings|§ 15-11-300. Notice of Hearings to Specified Parties; Required Findings

  In advance of each hearing to terminate parental rights, DFCS shall give written notice of the date, time, place, and purpose of the hearing to the caregiver of the child at issue, the foster parents of such child, if any, any preadoptive parent, or any relative providing care for such child, including the right to be heard. The written notice shall be delivered to the recipient at least 72 hours before the review or hearing by United States mail, e-mail, or hand delivery.   This Code section shall not be construed to require a caregiver, foster parent, preadoptive parent, or relative caring for the child at issue to be made a party to the hearing solely on the basis of such notice and right to be heard.   At any termination of parental rights hearing, the court shall make specific findings of fact in writing regarding participation by the caregiver of a child, the foster parent of a child, any preadoptive parent, or any relative providing care for a child. Such findings of fact shall include:   Whether the caregiver was provided notice of the hearing, including the method, and whether the caregiver expressed an interest in being heard at the hearing; and   If the caregiver is present, specific information regarding the caregiver's views, including, but not limited to, concerning the child's well-being, health, and safety; any changes the caregiver believes are necessary to advance the child's well-being, health, and safety; and the timeliness, necessity, and quality of services being provided to the child and caregiver; and a summary of documentation presented by the caregiver regarding the child's well-being, health, and safety, including, but not limited to, reports from physicians, counselors, psychologists, and teachers.       (Code 1981, §15-11-300, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2020, p. 241, § 3/SB 439.)    The 2020 amendment,  effective January 1, 2021, added subsection (c).
GA Code § 15-11-301 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 4 - Hearings|§ 15-11-301. Expedited Hearings; Orders

  If no just cause has been shown for delay, all hearings contemplated by this article shall be conducted within 90 days of the date a petition to terminate parental rights is filed.   If no just cause for delay has been shown by written finding of fact by the court, an order of disposition shall be issued by the juvenile court no later than 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing on the petition to terminate parental rights.   All hearings contemplated by this article shall be recorded by stenographic notes or by electronic, mechanical, or other appropriate means capable of accurately capturing a full and complete record of all words spoken during the hearings. If no just cause for delay has been shown, the court reporter shall provide a transcript of the hearings no later than 30 days after a notice of appeal is filed.   This Code section shall not affect the right to request a rehearing or the right to appeal the juvenile court's order.   Failure to comply with the time requirements of this Code section shall not be grounds to invalidate an otherwise proper order terminating parental rights unless the court determines that such delay resulted in substantial prejudice to a party.     (Code 1981, §15-11-301, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)
GA Code § 15-11-302 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 4 - Hearings|§ 15-11-302. Confidentiality of Testimony of Parties

 The record of the testimony of the parties adduced in any proceeding under this article shall not be admissible in any civil, criminal, or any other cause or proceedings in any court against a person named as respondent for any purpose whatsoever, except in subsequent dependency or termination proceedings involving the same child or dependency or termination proceedings involving the same respondent.    (Code 1981, §15-11-302, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)
GA Code § 15-11-303 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 4 - Hearings|§ 15-11-303. Standard of Proof

 In all proceedings under this article, the standard of proof to be adduced to terminate parental rights shall be by clear and convincing evidence.    (Code 1981, §15-11-303, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)
GA Code § 15-11-304 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 4 - Hearings|§ 15-11-304. Applicability of Title 24; Privileges

 Except as provided in this Code section, hearings to terminate parental rights shall be conducted in accordance with Title 24. Testimony or other evidence relevant to determining whether a statutory ground for termination of parental rights exists may not be excluded on any ground of privilege, except in the case of:    Communications between a party and his or her attorney; and   Confessions or communications between a priest, rabbi, or duly ordained minister or similar functionary and his or her confidential communicant.     (Code 1981, §15-11-304, enacted by Ga. L. 2014, p. 780, § 1-22/SB 364.)
GA Code § 15-11-320 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 6 - Disposition|§ 15-11-320. Termination of Parental Rights; Findings; Standard of Proof

  When the court finds that any ground set out in Code Section 15-11-310 is proved by clear and convincing evidence and that termination of parental rights is in a child's best interests, it shall order the termination of the parent's rights.   The court's order shall:   Contain written findings on which the order is based, including the factual basis for a determination that grounds for termination of parental rights exist and that termination is in the best interests of the child, including the findings required by subsection (c) of Code Section 15-11-300;   Be conclusive and binding on all parties from the date of entry;   Grant custody of the child at issue in accordance with Code Section 15-11-321; and   Inform the parent whose rights have been terminated of his or her right to use the services of the Georgia Adoption Reunion Registry; however, failure to include such information shall not affect the validity of the judgment.     If the court does not order the termination of parental rights but the court finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that a child is a dependent child, the court may enter a disposition order in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of this chapter.   The court shall transmit a copy of every final order terminating the parental rights of a parent to the State Adoption Unit of the department within 15 days of the filing of such order.     (Code 1981, §15-11-320, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2018, p. 19, § 1-2/HB 159; Ga. L. 2020, p. 241, § 4/SB 439.)    The 2018 amendment,  effective September 1, 2018, substituted "State Adoption Unit" for "Office of Adoptions" in subsection (d).    The 2020 amendment,  effective January 1, 2021, added ", including the findings required by subsection (c) of Code Section 15-11-300" at the end of paragraph (b)(1).   Cross references.   - Time limitations upon orders of disposition - commitment to Division of Youth Services, Uniform Rules for the Juvenile Courts of Georgia, Rule 15.2.   Law reviews.   - For annual survey of law of domestic relations, see 38 Mercer L. Rev. 179 (1986). For annual survey on law of domestic relations, see 42 Mercer L. Rev. 201 (1990). For article on the 2018 amendment of this Code section, see 35 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 77 (2018).   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   ANALYSIS    General Consideration   Criteria for Termination   Findings   Evidence   Clear and Convincing Standard   Actions of Parents   Children   Sufficient Evidence for Termination   Insufficient Evidence for Termination   Deprivation   Reunification
GA Code § 15-11-321 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 6 - Disposition|§ 15-11-321. (Effective January 1, 2022.) Custody of Child Following Termination Proceedings or Surrender of Parental Rights; Use of Hearsay Evidence

  When a court enters an order terminating the parental rights of a parent or accepts a parent's voluntary surrender of parental rights, or a petition for termination of parental rights is withdrawn because a parent has executed an act of surrender in favor of the department, a placement may be made only if the court finds that such placement is in the best interests of the child and in accordance with such child's court approved permanency plan created pursuant to Code Sections 15-11-231 and 15-11-232. In determining which placement is in a child's best interests, the court shall enter findings of fact reflecting its consideration of the following:   Such child's need for a placement that offers the greatest degree of legal permanence and security;   The least disruptive placement for such child;   Such child's sense of attachment and need for continuity of relationships;   The value of biological and familial connections; and   Any other factors the court deems relevant to its determination.     A guardian or legal custodian shall submit to the jurisdiction of the court for purposes of placement.   A placement effected under the provisions of this Code section shall be conditioned upon the person who is given custody or who is granted an adoption of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated or surrendered agreeing to abide by the terms and conditions of the order of the court.   In addition to its rights as a legal custodian, the department has the authority to consent to the adoption of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated or surrendered.    (a.1)The court may consider any evidence, including hearsay evidence, that the court finds to be relevant, reliable, and necessary to determine the needs of a child and the permanency and custody of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated or who have surrendered their parental rights.    (Code 1981, §15-11-321, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2016, p. 134, § 1-4/HB 887; Ga. L. 2019, p. 456, § 4/SB 167; Ga. L. 2021, p. 134, § 10/SB 28.)
GA Code § 15-11-322 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 6 - Disposition|§ 15-11-322. (Effective Until January 1, 2022.) Continuing Court Review When Child Not Adopted

 If a petition seeking the adoption of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated or surrendered is not filed within six months after the date of the disposition order, the court shall then, and at least every six months thereafter so long as such child remains unadopted, review the circumstances of such child to determine what efforts have been made to assure that such child will be adopted. The court shall:    Make written findings regarding whether reasonable efforts have been made to move such child to permanency;   Evaluate whether, in light of any change in circumstances, the permanency plan for such child remains appropriate; and   Enter such orders as it deems necessary to further adoption or if appropriate, other permanency options, including, but not limited to, another placement.     (Code 1981, §15-11-322, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2014, p. 780, § 1-23/SB 364.)   Cross references.   - Time limitations upon orders of disposition - commitment to Division of Youth Services, Uniform Rules for the Juvenile Courts of Georgia, Rule 15.2.   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   Editor's notes.   - In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, decisions under pre-2000 Code Sections 15-11-54 and 15-11-90, and pre-2014 Code Section 15-11-103, which were subsequently repealed but were succeeded by provisions in this Code section, are included in the annotations for this Code section. See the Editor's notes at the beginning of the chapter.    Court cannot invest itself with authority to choose an adopting family, relying upon the provisions dealing with "other suitable measures for the care and welfare of the child." Department of Human Resources v. Ledbetter, 153 Ga. App. 416, 265 S.E.2d 337 (1980) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-54).   Consent of placement agency necessary for adoption.    - Former statute, which provided for the placing of children with an agency upon termination of parental rights, also mandated that consent of the agency was necessary for adoption. Drummond v. Fulton County Dep't of Family & Children Servs., 237 Ga. 449, 228 S.E.2d 839 (1976), cert. denied, 432 U.S. 905, 97 S. Ct. 2949, 53 L. Ed. 2d 1077 (1977) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-54).
GA Code § 15-11-322 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 6 - Disposition|§ 15-11-322. (Effective January 1, 2022.) Continuing Court Review When Child Not Adopted; Use of Hearsay Evidence

 If a petition seeking the adoption of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated or surrendered is not filed within six months after the date of the disposition order, the court shall then, and at least every six months thereafter so long as such child remains unadopted, review the circumstances of such child to determine what efforts have been made to assure that such child will be adopted. The court shall:    Make written findings regarding whether reasonable efforts have been made to move such child to permanency;   Evaluate whether, in light of any change in circumstances, the permanency plan for such child remains appropriate; and   Enter such orders as it deems necessary to further adoption or if appropriate, other permanency options, including, but not limited to, another placement.  The court may consider any evidence, including hearsay evidence, that the court finds to be relevant, reliable, and necessary to determine the needs of a child and the permanency and custody of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated or who have surrendered their parental rights.      (Code 1981, §15-11-322, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2014, p. 780, § 1-23/SB 364; Ga. L. 2021, p. 134, § 11/SB 28.)
GA Code § 15-11-324 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 4 - Termination of Parental Rights|Part 6 - Disposition|§ 15-11-324. Testimony and Evidence From Foster Parents, Caregivers, and Others

  After the court has granted a termination of parental rights, and during the dispositional phase of such case contemplated in Code Section 15-11-321 and in any post-dispositional review under Code Section 15-11-322, the court shall in making its disposition consider the testimony of and evidence provided by any foster parent, caregiver, relative, or other individual in whose physical custody the child has resided for at least 12 months during a period ending not more than 90 days preceding the filing of the petition, provided that such individual expresses a desire and willingness to adopt the child.   Such testimony and evidence may include evidence regarding the level of attachment and bonding between the child and caregiver; the child's health, safety, and well-being; and such other evidence that the court may consider relevant to its disposition of the case. The court may, in its discretion, limit the scope of such evidence as it may deem relevant and material to the dispositional issues at hand.     (Code 1981, §15-11-324, enacted by Ga. L. 2020, p. 241, § 5/SB 439.)
GA Code § 15-11-380 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 5 - Child in Need of Services|Part 1 - General Provisions|§ 15-11-380. Purpose of Article

 The purpose of this article is:    To acknowledge that certain behaviors or conditions occurring within a family or school environment indicate that a child is experiencing serious difficulties and is in need of services and corrective action in order to protect such child from the irreversibility of certain choices and to protect the integrity of such child's family;   To make family members aware of their contributions to their family's problems and to encourage family members to accept the responsibility to participate in any program of care ordered by the court;   To provide a child with a program of treatment, care, guidance, counseling, structure, supervision, and rehabilitation that he or she needs to assist him or her in becoming a responsible and productive member of society; and   To ensure the cooperation and coordination of all agencies having responsibility to supply services to any member of a family referred to the court.     (Code 1981, §15-11-380, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)
GA Code § 15-11-381 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 5 - Child in Need of Services|Part 1 - General Provisions|§ 15-11-381. Definitions

 As used in this article, the term:    "Comprehensive services plan" means an interagency treatment, habilitation, support, or supervision plan developed collaboratively by state or local agency representatives, parties, and other interested persons following a court's finding that a child is incompetent to proceed.   "Habilitation" means the process by which a child is helped to acquire and maintain those life skills which will enable him or her to cope more effectively with the demands of his or her own person and of his or her environment and to raise the level of his or her physical, mental, social, and vocational abilities.   "Plan manager" means a person who is under the supervision of the court and is appointed by the court to convene a meeting of all relevant parties for the purpose of developing a comprehensive services plan.   "Runaway" means a child who without just cause and without the consent of his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian is absent from his or her home or place of abode for at least 24 hours.   "Status offense" means an act prohibited by law which would not be an offense if committed by an adult.   "Truant" means having ten or more days of unexcused absences from school in the current academic year.     (Code 1981, §15-11-381, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)