Tennessee § 37-2-401 - Legislative intent — Construction of part.

§ 37-2-401. Legislative intent — Construction of part.

The primary purpose of this part is to protect children from unnecessary separation from parents who will give them good homes and loving care, to protect them from needless prolonged placement in foster care and the uncertainty it provides, and to provide them a reasonable assurance that, if an early return to the care of their parents is not possible, they will be placed in a permanent home at an early date. The secondary purpose of this part is to provide a mechanism to monitor the care of children in foster care to ensure that everything reasonably possible is being done to achieve a permanent plan for the child. When a parent by such parent's actions or failure to act fails to fulfill such parent's responsibilities as a parent, the court shall consider such conduct in determining whether to terminate parental rights, regardless of whether the parent intended such parent's conduct to constitute a relinquishment or forfeiture of such parent's parental rights. When the interests of a child and those of an adult are in conflict, such conflict is to be resolved in favor of a child, and to these ends this part shall be liberally construed. Acts 1976, ch. 731, § 1; 1982, ch. 811, § 1; 1983, ch. 438, §§ 1-6; T.C.A., § 37-1501(a). Rule Reference. This part is referred to in the Advisory Commission Comments under Rule 501 of the Tennessee Rules of Evidence. This part is referred to in Rule 32 of the Tennessee Rules of Juvenile Procedure. Textbooks. Coppock on Tennessee Adoption Law, (1998-99 ed., Coppock). Tennessee Law of Evidence (2nd ed., Cohen, Paine and Sheppeard), Rule 501.