Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights - Rhode Island

Grounds for Termination of Parental Rights
Citation: Gen. Laws § 15-7-7

The court shall terminate all legal rights of the parent to the child if it finds, as a fact by clear and convincing evidence, the following:

• The parent has willfully neglected to provide proper care and maintenance for the child for a period of at least 1 year, where he or she is financially able to do so.
• The parent has abandoned the child.
• The parent is unfit by reason of conduct or conditions seriously detrimental to the child, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
  • Institutionalization, including imprisonment, of such duration that the parent cannot care for the child for an extended period of time
  • A chronic substance abuse problem
• The parent has subjected the child to conduct of a cruel or abusive nature.
• The parent has subjected the child to aggravated circumstances, including, but not limited to, abandonment, torture, chronic abuse, or sexual abuse.
• The child has been in the custody of the Department of Children, Youth and Families for at least 12 months, and reasonable efforts to rehabilitate the parent have failed.
• The parent has been convicted of any of the following:
  • Murder or voluntary manslaughter of another child of the parent
  • Aiding, abetting, attempting, or soliciting to commit murder or voluntary manslaughter of another child of the parent
  • A felony assault that results in serious bodily injury to the child or another child of the parent
• The parent has exhibited behavior or conduct that is seriously detrimental to the child.
• The parent has been convicted of sexual assault upon the birthmother, and parenthood is a result of that sexual assault.
• The parent has willfully neglected to provide proper care and maintenance for the child when financially able to do so.
• The parent has failed to communicate with the child.
• Parental rights to another child of the parent have been involuntarily terminated, and the parent continues to lack the ability to respond to services. 

Timeframes for Termination Proceedings

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Exceptions

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

When Parental Rights May Be Reinstated 

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.