A person becomes responsible for their children by virtue of sharing their DNA with the kids and bringing them into the world. All across Ohio parents are working hard to make sure that their children receive the love and support they need to grow and thrive. Those are responsibilities that parents must meet in order to serve their children’s best interests and their rights to keep their children in their homes are protected by their efforts to keep their kids safe.
However, from time to time a parent may lose their rights to their kids. When this happens it is said that their parental rights have been terminated. The remainder of this post will examine how a parent may see their rights to their kids terminated and some of the outcomes that can result when parental rights are cut off.
A parent who cannot take care of their child due to a mental or cognitive issue may lose custody of their children. Although not all mental health issues disqualify individuals from parenting, those ailments that prevent parents from keeping their kids healthy and safe may lead to the individuals’ losses of parental rights.
Also, parents who abuse their kids or who are long-term drug or alcohol addicts may lost their parental rights. These practices do not serve their kids’ best interests and may serve as grounds for ending parental rights. Abandonment of a child may result in terminated parental rights; other grounds may exist for legally cutting off a parent’s rights to their kids.
When a parent loses their rights to their children the child effectively loses a parent. That means that, if their biological parents are not married, they may be adopted by a stepparent. A parent who loses their rights to their kids can gain their rights back but the process is complex. Family law attorneys can help parents in this difficult situation reconnect with the children they love.