In re Shavenon Edwin N.
Opinion of the Court
Order of disposition, Family Court, Bronx County (Jane Pearl, J.), entered on or about April 7, 2010, which, upon a fact-finding that respondent parents had abandoned the subject child, terminated their parental rights and committed custody and guardianship to the petitioner agency and the Commissioner of Social Services for the purpose of adoption, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
The parents admit that they did not have any contact with the subject child during the six-month period prior to the filing of the petition to terminate their parental rights (see Matter of Annette B., 4 NY3d 509, 513 [2005]). They contend that the agency had previously arranged visits and referrals for the mother’s older child which compelled the mother to have contact with a man who fathered that child through rape. While the agency may have shown poor judgment in scheduling such appointments, the parents failed to provide evidence of their intention to assume their parental obligations toward the subject child, with whom they had no contact since his birth (see Matter of Julius P., 63 NY2d 477, 481 [1984]). Moreover, in the abandonment context, diligent efforts by the agency to encourage the parent’s relationship with the child are not required (see Matter of Gabrielle HH., 1 NY3d 549, 550 [2003]).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.