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Remand:
Termination of Parental Rights, Failure to Rehabilitate
In this
termination of parental rights case, the appellate court rejected
the respondent father’s claim that DCF failed to make reasonable
efforts to reunify him with his child and that there was insufficient
evidence to find that he failed to rehabilitate as a parent. The
father contended that after paternity was finally confirmed he began
to participate fully in services. Despite the father having completed
several of the remedial programs and steps assigned to him, the
trial court agreed with expert testimony provided by DCF that indicated
that the father had not dealt with his history of interpersonal
aggression and inappropriate sexual conduct toward children and
it would be one to one and a half years before reunification could
begin. The trial court found that this was not a reasonable time
period for reunification. The appellate court upheld the trial court’s
findings, noting that the father’s failure to disclose to DCF his
status as a sex offender was a sufficient basis to determine that
he was unable or unwilling to benefit from further remedial services.
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