Opinion ID: 2524632
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The superior court fulfilled the requirements of a permanency hearing.

Text: A permanency hearing must be held: (1) within twelve months after the date the child entered foster care as calculated under AS 47.10.088(f); (2) within thirty days after the court determines pursuant to CINA Rule 17.1 that reasonable efforts are not required; or (3) upon application by a party, when good cause is shown. [11] According to AS 47.10.088(f), a child is considered to have entered foster care on the earlier of the date of a judicial finding of abuse or neglect or sixty days after the date of removal from the child's home. [12] N.A.'s daughters entered state custody on November 3, 1997. On that occasion, N.A.'s daughters were taken into state custody to allow N.A. to enter a residential substance abuse treatment program. There was no judicial finding of neglect or abuse. Thus, the date on which the girls entered foster care is January 2, 1998, sixty days after removal from N.A.'s home. Accordingly, AS 47.10.080( l ) required that a permanency hearing be held before January 2, 1999. What the court and the division have named the annual review of 1998 fulfills the requirements of a permanency hearing. The court held a hearing on October 5, 1998, within twelve months of the girls' entry into foster care. As required by CINA Rule 17.2(c) and (e), the division filed a report including a proposed permanent plan of terminating parental rights and supporting facts, and the court made appropriate findings. Thus, the superior court fulfilled the requirements of a permanency hearing.