§ 37-2-401 — Legislative intent - Construction of part

(a) The primary purpose of this part is to protect children from unnecessary separation from parents who will give them good homes and loving care, to protect them from needless prolonged placement in foster care and the uncertainty it provides, and to provide them a reasonable assurance that, if an early return to the care of their parents is not possible, they will be placed in a permanent home at an early date. (b) The secondary purpose of this part is to provide a mechanism to monitor the care of children in foster care to ensure that everything reasonably possible is being done to achieve a permanent plan for the child. (c) When a parent by such parent's actions or failure to act fails to fulfill such parent's responsibilities as a parent, the court shall consider such conduct in determining whether to terminate parental rights, regardless of whether the parent intended such parent's conduct to constitute a relinquishment or forfeiture of such parent's parental rights. When the interests of a child and those of an adult are in conflict, such conflict is to be resolved in favor of a child, and to these ends this part shall be liberally construed. (d) The department of children's services shall strive to identify and finalize a safe, stable, and permanent home for children in the custody of the department.

Legislative History

Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 187, s 10, eff. 7/1/2023. Acts 1976, ch. 731, § 1; 1982, ch. 811, § 1; 1983, ch. 438, §§ 1-6; T.C.A., § 37-1501(a).