This bill is good for kids, a needed kindness for parents, and a needed time relief for DH&W and the courts.
This would allow parents to voluntarily consent to the Termination of Parental Rights (TPR). This would be sufficient for a judge to grant an order of TPR without holding a trial and incurring all of the costs of the trial when the outcome of the trial is already known--the parents are giving up their parental rights
More importantly, it would provide parents with a dignified way of taking ownership of the resolution of their case. The best they can do now, is say “I agree not to show up for the trial”, and the case would proceed without them.
This gives parents to opportunity to say, “I’m consenting to TPR because I love my child, and I know this is what’s best for them” as opposed to “I won’t show up and I know you’ll TPR me in my absence.”
This will positively change the timeline on TPR and adoption because the moment both parents execute a voluntary consent and submit those to the court, the court will be able to issue a TPR Order without a further hearing. The benefit to the child is being placed in a stable situation in a more expeditious manner.