2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 5.740. Hearings after selection of a permanent plan (§§ 366.26, 366.3, 16501.1)
(a) Review hearings-adoption and guardianship
Following an order for termination of parental rights or, in the case of tribal customary adoption, modification of parental rights, or a plan for the establishment of a legal guardianship under section 366.26, the court must retain jurisdiction and conduct review hearings at least every 6 months to ensure the expeditious completion of the adoption or guardianship.
(1) At the review hearing, the court must consider the report of the petitioner required by section 366.3(g), the report of any CASA volunteer, the case plan submitted for this hearing, and any report submitted by the child's caregiver under section 366.21(d); inquire about the progress being made to provide a permanent home for the child; consider the safety of the child; and enter findings as required by section 366.3(e).
(2) The court or administrative review panel must consider the case plan and make the findings and determinations concerning the child in rule 5.708(e).
(3) When adoption is granted, the court must terminate its jurisdiction.
(4) After a legal guardianship is established, the court may continue dependency jurisdiction or terminate dependency jurisdiction and retain jurisdiction over the child as a ward of the guardianship under section 366.4. If the court appoints a relative or nonrelative extended family member as the child's guardian and the other requirements in section 366.3(a)(3) apply, the court must terminate dependency jurisdiction and retain jurisdiction over the child under section 366.4 unless the guardian objects or the court finds that exceptional circumstances require it to retain dependency jurisdiction.
(5) Notice of the hearing must be given as provided in section 295.
(6) If the child is not placed for adoption, the court or administrative review panel must find as follows:
(A) Whether the agency has made diligent efforts to locate an appropriate relative. If the court or administrative review panel finds the agency has not made diligent efforts to locate an appropriate relative, the court or administrative review panel must order the agency to do so.
(B) Whether each relative whose name has been submitted to the agency as a possible caregiver has been evaluated as an appropriate placement resource. If the court or administrative review panel finds the agency has not evaluated each relative whose name has been submitted as a possible caregiver, the court or administrative review panel must order the agency to do so.
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2021; repealed and adopted effective January 1, 1991; previously amended effective January 1, 1992, January 1, 1993, July 1, 1999, January 1, 2005, January 1, 2006, January 1, 2007, July 1, 2010, January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2017.)
(b) Review hearings-relative care or foster care
Following the establishment of a plan other than those provided for in (a), review hearings must be conducted at least every 6 months by the court or by a local administrative review panel.
(1) At the review hearing, the court or administrative review panel must consider the report of the petitioner, the report of any CASA volunteer, the case plan submitted for this hearing, and any report submitted by the child's caregiver under section 366.21(d); inquire about the progress being made to provide a permanent home for the child; consider the safety of the child; and enter findings as required by section 366.3(e).
(2) The court or administrative review panel must consider the case plan submitted for this hearing and make the findings and determinations concerning the child in rule 5.708(e).
(3) If the child is not placed for adoption, the court or administrative review panel must find as follows:
(A) Whether the agency has made diligent efforts to locate an appropriate relative. If the court or administrative review panel finds the agency has not made diligent efforts to locate an appropriate relative, the court or administrative review panel must order the agency to do so.
(B) Whether each relative whose name has been submitted to the agency as a possible caregiver has been evaluated as an appropriate placement resource. If the court or administrative review panel finds the agency has not evaluated each relative whose name has been submitted as a possible caregiver, the court or administrative review panel must order the agency to do so.
(4) No less frequently than once every 12 months, the court must conduct a review of the previously ordered permanent plan to consider whether the plan continues to be appropriate for the child. The review of the permanent plan may be combined with the 6-month review.
(5) If circumstances have changed since the permanent plan was ordered, the court may order a new permanent plan under section 366.26 at any subsequent hearing, or any party may seek a new permanent plan by a motion filed under section 388 and rule 5.570.
(6) Notice of the hearing must be given as provided in section 295.
(7) The court must continue the child in foster care unless the parents prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that further efforts at reunification are the best alternative for the child. In those cases, the court may order reunification services for a period not to exceed 6 months.
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2017; repealed and adopted effective January 1, 1991; previously amended effective January 1, 1992, January 1, 1994, January 1, 1998, January 1, 1999, July 1, 1999, January 1, 2005, January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2007.)
(c) Review hearings-youth 16 years of age and older
If the youth is 16 years of age or older, the procedures in section 391 must be followed.
(1) If it is the first review hearing after the youth turns 16 years of age, the social worker must provide the information, documents, and services required by section 391(a) and must use First Review Hearing After Youth Turns 16 years of Age-Information, Documents, and Services (form JV-361).
(2) If it is the last review hearing before the youth turns 18 years of age, the social worker must provide the information, documents, and services required by section 391(b)-(c) and must use Review Hearing for Youth Approaching 18 Years of Age-Information, Documents, and Services (form JV-362).
(3) If it is a review hearing after the youth turns 18 years of age, the social worker must provide the information, documents, and services required by section 391(c) and must use Review Hearing for Youth 18 Years of Age or Older-Information, Documents, and Services (form JV-363). If the court is terminating jurisdiction at this review hearing, the social worker must also provide the information, documents, and services required by section 391(h), must follow the procedures in rule 5.555, and must use Termination of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction-Nonminor (form JV-365).
(Subd (c) adopted effective January 1, 2021.)
(d) Hearing on petition to terminate guardianship or modify guardianship orders
A petition to terminate a guardianship established by the juvenile court, to appoint a successor guardian, or to modify or supplement orders concerning a guardianship must be filed in the juvenile court. The procedures described in rule 5.570 must be followed, and Request to Change Court Order (form JV-180) must be used.
(1) Proceedings on a petition to terminate a guardianship established under section 366.26 must be heard in the juvenile court. If dependency was terminated at the time of or subsequent to the appointment of the guardian, and dependency is later declared in another county, proceedings to terminate the guardianship may be held in the juvenile court with current dependency jurisdiction.
(2) Not less than 15 court days before the hearing date, the clerk must cause notice of the hearing to be given to the department of social services; the guardian; the child, if 10 years or older; parents whose parental rights have not been terminated; the court that established the guardianship, if in another county; and counsel of record for those entitled to notice.
(3) At the hearing on the petition to terminate the guardianship, the court may do one of the following:
(A) Deny the petition to terminate guardianship;
(B) Deny the petition and request the county welfare department to provide services to the guardian and the ward for the purpose of maintaining the guardianship, consistent with section 301; or
(C) Grant the petition to terminate the guardianship.
(4) If the petition is granted and the court continues or resumes dependency, the court must order that a new plan be developed to provide stability and permanency to the child. Unless the court has already scheduled a hearing to review the child's status, the court must conduct a hearing within 60 days. Parents whose parental rights have not been terminated must be notified of the hearing on the new plan. The court may consider further efforts at reunification only if the parent proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the efforts would be the best alternative for the child.
(5) If the court terminates a guardianship established in another county, the clerk of the county of current dependency jurisdiction must transmit a certified copy of the order terminating guardianship within 15 days to the court that established the original guardianship.
(Subd (d) relettered effective January 1, 2021; adopted as subd (c); previously amended effective January 1, 1993, July 1, 1994, July 1, 1999, January 1, 2007 and January 1, 2017.)
Rule 5.740 amended effective January 1, 2021; adopted as rule 1465 effective January 1, 1991; previously renumbered as rule 1466 effective July 1, 1995; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 1992, January 1, 1993, January 1, 1994, July 1, 1994, January 1, 1998, January 1, 1999, July 1, 1999, July 1, 2002, January 1, 2005, January 1, 2006, July 1, 2010, January 1, 2012, January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2017.
Chapter 13 renumbered effective January 1, 2008; adopted as chapter 11 effective July 1, 2002; previously amended and renumbered as chapter 14 effective January 1, 2007.
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