Opinion ID: 2402160
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: DCYF's Efforts Towards Reunification

Text: The respondents also contend on appeal that the hearing justice erred in finding that DCYF made reasonable efforts towards reunification. The respondents are correct that, pursuant to § 15-7-7(b)(1), DCYF was required to make reasonable efforts to encourage and strengthen the parental relationship so that Kayla could safely return to the family. See In re Christopher B., 823 A.2d 301, 308 (R.I. 2003). Moreover, this Court has stated that `consistent with a totality of the circumstances approach,' the efforts required from DCYF to satisfy the reasonable efforts standard `vary with the differing capacities of the parents involved.' Id. (quoting In re William, Susan, and Joseph, 448 A.2d 1250, 1256 (R.I.1982)). Nevertheless, we agree with the hearing justice's observation that [t]here must be a limit to the extension of reasonable efforts. In the instant case, DCYF prepared four case plans, all of which had as their goal the reunification of Kayla and her parents. DCYF initially made a referral to Spurwink, a facility that tailored its programs to cognitively impaired persons; and, when those services were terminated, DCYF made no fewer than four other referrals to programs providing services intended to encourage and strengthen the parental relationship. In addition, the hearing justice pointed out that one of the parent aides to whom DCYF referred Dawn and Irving had had experience with persons suffering from the same medical condition as respondents. We are unable to conclude that those various efforts aimed at reunification were inadequate. Accordingly, we affirm the hearing justice's determination that the efforts made by DCYF were not unreasonable. C