Court hears agency recommendation to terminate parental rights after yearlong case

At a family-court hearing, a child-welfare caseworker told the judge the agency recommends terminating the parental rights of the child’s parents after more than a year of supervision and limited progress toward reunification. The agency's court report, which the judge received into the record after no objection, said the parents had inconsistent engagement with required services, multiple missed or contested drug screens and continued domestic incidents that the caseworker called "very concerning." "Because we've already been going on with this case for over a year, and the parents are still not making enough progress to continue," the caseworker said when asked whether she recommended termination. The child has been in relative foster care since June 2024, the caseworker reported. In that placement the child has a bed, regular medical and developmental services including speech therapy, and ongoing specialist follow-up for a…