AR SB775

Putative parents shall not be named as parties in dependency-neglect and termination of parental rights petitions unless the court determines they have established paternity or significant contacts with the juvenile.

The Department of Human Services must make diligent efforts to identify putative parents in dependency-neglect proceedings, including checking the putative father registry, and provide notice under Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure as soon as identified.

Putative parents do not have a right to appointed counsel in dependency-neglect proceedings except in termination of parental rights cases where the court finds the parent is indigent, has established significant contacts, due process requires counsel, and the parent requested it.

Putative parents bear the burden to prove significant contacts with the child for putative rights to attach, and a DNA test establishing paternity is sufficient evidence to establish a putative parent as the legal parent.

Notice to putative parents in termination of parental rights petitions must identify the rights sought to be terminated and specify that the putative parent must prove significant contacts existed with the juvenile for rights to attach.