Grounds for Termination of Parental Rights District of Columbia
Circumstances That Are Grounds for Termination
Abandonment or Extreme Parental Disinterest
Abuse/Neglect
Mental Illness or Deficiency
Alcohol or Drug Induced Incapacity
Abuse/Neglect or Loss of Rights of Another Child
Sexual Abuse
Child Judged in Need of Services/Dependent
Child's Best Interest
Child in care 15 of 22 months (or less)
Felony assault of child or sibling
Murder/Manslaughter of sibling child
Circumstances That Are Not Grounds for Termination
Felony Conviction/Incarceration
Failure of Reasonable Efforts
Failure to Maintain Contact
Failure to Provide Support
Failure to Establish Paternity
D.C. Code Ann. § 16-2354(b) (WESTLAW through 10-2-01)
A motion for the termination of the parent and child relationship:
May be filed when the child who is the subject of the motion has been adjudicated neglected at least 6 months prior to the filing of the motion and the child is in the court-ordered custody of a department, agency, institution or person other than the parent.
May be filed immediately when, despite reasonable efforts, the parent could not be located for the fact finding hearing and during the period from the child's removal from the home to the fact finding hearing.
Except as provided in § 16-2354(c), (g), shall be filed by the District government if:
The child has been in court-ordered custody under the responsibility of the District for 15 of the most recent 22 months;
The division has determined the child to be abandoned;
A court of competent jurisdiction has determined that the parent has: a) Committed murder of a child sibling or another child; b) Committed voluntary manslaughter or a child sibling or another child; c) Aided or abetted, attempted, conspired, or solicited to commit such a murder of such a voluntary manslaughter; or d) Committed a felony assault that has resulted in serious bodily injury to the child who is the subject of the petition, a child sibling, or another child;
The division has determined the child to be subject to intentional and severe mental abuse.
