D. B., et al. v. Vermont Department for Children and Families
AdministrativeLaw SocialSecurity DueProcess
1. Whether 42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(15)(B), which mandates that reasonable efforts "shall be made" to reunify families, requires state courts to ensure that child welfare agencies made reasonable efforts toward reunification before terminating parental rights based solely on parents' failure to remedy the conditions that led to removal.
2. Whether the Due Process Clause requires a court-approved case plan providing parents with fair notice of what they must do to avert termination and preserve their fundamental right to parent their children.
Whether 42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(15)(B) mandates state courts to ensure reasonable efforts toward family reunification before terminating parental rights, and whether the Due Process Clause requires a court-approved case plan providing parents fair notice to preserve their parental rights