(a) The court shall conduct a review or permanency planning hearing within 90 days from the date of the initial dispositional hearing held pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-901 Review or permanency planning hearings shall be held at least every six months thereafter. If custody has not been removed from a parent, guardian, caretaker, or custodian, the hearing shall be designated as a review hearing. If custody has been removed from a parent, guardian, or custodian, the hearing shall be designated as permanency planning hearing.

(b) The director of social services shall make a timely request to the clerk to calendar each hearing at a session of court scheduled for the hearing of juvenile matters. The clerk shall give 15 days’ notice of the hearing and its purpose to (i) the parents, (ii) the juvenile if 12 years of age or more, (iii) the guardian, (iv) the person providing care for the juvenile, (v) the custodian or agency with custody, (vi) the guardian ad litem, and (vii) any other person or agency the court may specify. The department of social services shall either provide to the clerk the name and address of the person providing care for the juvenile for notice under this subsection or file written documentation with the clerk that the juvenile’s current care provider was sent notice of hearing. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to make the person providing care for the juvenile a party to the proceeding solely based on receiving notice and the right to be heard.

(c) At each hearing, the court shall consider information from the parents, the juvenile, the guardian, any person with whom the juvenile is placed, the custodian or agency with custody, the guardian ad litem, and any other person or agency that will aid in the court’s review. The court shall provide any person with whom the child is placed the opportunity to address the court regarding the juvenile’s well-being. The court may consider any evidence, including hearsay evidence as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8C-1, Rule 801, or testimony or evidence from any person that is not a party, that the court finds to be relevant, reliable, and necessary to determine the needs of the juvenile and the most appropriate disposition.

(d) At each hearing, the court shall consider the following criteria and make written findings regarding those that are relevant:

(1) Services which have been offered to prevent the removal or reunite the juvenile with either parent whether or not the juvenile resided with the parent at the time of removal or the guardian or custodian from whom the child was removed.

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(1a) Reports on the juvenile’s continuation in the home of the parent, guardian, or custodian; and the appropriateness of the juvenile’s continuation in that home. If the juvenile is removed from the custody of a parent, guardian, or custodian at a review hearing, the court shall schedule a permanency planning hearing within 30 days of the review, unless the hearing was noticed and heard as a permanency planning hearing.

(2) Reports on visitation that has occurred and whether there is a need to create, modify, or enforce an appropriate visitation plan in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-905.1

(3) Whether efforts to reunite the juvenile with either parent clearly would be unsuccessful or inconsistent with the juvenile’s health or safety and need for a safe, permanent home within a reasonable period of time. The court shall consider efforts to reunite regardless of whether the juvenile resided with the parent, guardian, or custodian at the time of removal.

(4) Reports on the placements the juvenile has had, the appropriateness of the juvenile’s current foster care placement, and the goals of the juvenile’s foster care plan, including the role the current foster parent will play in the planning for the juvenile.

(5) If the juvenile is 16 or 17 years of age, a report on an independent living assessment of the juvenile and, if appropriate, an independent living plan developed for the juvenile.

(6) Repealed by Session Laws 2021-132, s. 1(h), effective October 1, 2021, and applicable to actions filed or pending on or after that date.

(7) Any other criteria the court deems necessary.

(d1) At any review hearing, the court may maintain the juvenile’s placement under review or order a different placement, appoint an individual guardian of the person pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-600, or order any disposition authorized by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-903, including the authority to place the child in the custody of either parent or any relative found by the court to be suitable and found by the court to be in the best interests of the juvenile.

(d2) Absent extraordinary circumstances, when the parent, guardian, or custodian has successfully completed the court-ordered services and the juvenile is residing in a safe home, the court may waive further review hearings or terminate its jurisdiction in accordance with this subsection or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-911

(e) At any permanency planning hearing where the juvenile is not placed with a parent, the court shall additionally consider the following criteria and make written findings regarding those that are relevant:

(1) Whether it is possible for the juvenile to be placed with a parent within the next six months and, if not, why such placement is not in the juvenile’s best interests.

(2) Where the juvenile’s placement with a parent is unlikely within six months, whether legal guardianship or custody with a relative or some other suitable person should be established and, if so, the rights and responsibilities that should remain with the parents.

(3) Where the juvenile’s placement with a parent is unlikely within six months, whether adoption should be pursued and, if so, any barriers to the juvenile’s adoption, including when and if termination of parental rights should be considered.

(4) Where the juvenile’s placement with a parent is unlikely within six months, whether the juvenile should remain in the current placement, or be placed in another permanent living arrangement and why.

(5) Whether the county department of social services has since the initial permanency plan hearing made reasonable efforts to implement the permanent plan for the juvenile.

(6) Any other criteria the court deems necessary.

(f) In the case of a juvenile who is in the custody or placement responsibility of a county department of social services and has been in placement outside the home for 12 of the most recent 22 months, or a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that the parent (i) has abandoned the child, (ii) has committed murder or voluntary manslaughter of another child of the parent, or (iii) has aided, abetted, attempted, conspired, or solicited to commit murder or voluntary manslaughter of the child or another child of the parent, the director of the department of social services shall initiate a proceeding to terminate the parental rights of the parent unless the court finds any of the following:

(1) The primary permanent plan for the juvenile is guardianship or custody with a relative or some other suitable person.

(2) The court makes specific findings as to why the filing of a petition for termination of parental rights is not in the best interests of the child.

(3) The department of social services has not provided the juvenile’s family with services the department deems necessary when reasonable efforts are still required to enable the juvenile’s return to a safe home.

(g) At the conclusion of each permanency planning hearing, the court shall make specific findings as to the best permanent plans to achieve a safe, permanent home for the juvenile within a reasonable period of time.

(h) The order shall be reduced to writing, signed, and entered no later than 30 days following the completion of the hearing. If the order is not entered within 30 days following completion of the hearing, the clerk of court for juvenile matters shall schedule a subsequent hearing at the first session of court scheduled for the hearing of juvenile matters following the 30-day period to determine and explain the reason for the delay and to obtain any needed clarification as to the contents of the order. The order shall be entered within 10 days of the subsequent hearing required by this subsection.

(i) The court may maintain the juvenile’s placement under review or order a different placement, appoint a guardian of the person for the juvenile pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-600, or order any disposition authorized by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-903, including the authority to place the child in the custody of either parent or any relative found by the court to be suitable and found by the court to be in the best interests of the juvenile.

(j) If the court determines that the juvenile shall be placed in the custody of an individual other than a parent or appoints an individual guardian of the person pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-600, the court shall verify that the person receiving custody or being appointed as guardian of the juvenile understands the legal significance of the placement or appointment and will have adequate resources to care appropriately for the juvenile. The fact that the prospective custodian or guardian has provided a stable placement for the juvenile for at least six consecutive months is evidence that the person has adequate resources.

(k) If at any time a juvenile has been removed from a parent and legal custody is awarded to either parent or findings are made in accordance with subsection (n) of this section, the court shall be relieved of the duty to conduct periodic judicial reviews of the placement.

(k1) The court shall not waive or refuse to conduct a review hearing if a party files a motion seeking the review hearing and alleges a significant fact.

(l) If the court continues the juvenile’s placement in the custody or placement responsibility of a county department of social services, the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-903.1 shall apply to any order entered under this section.

(m) If the court finds that a proceeding to terminate the parental rights of the juvenile’s parents is necessary in order to perfect the primary permanent plan for the juvenile, the director of the department of social services shall file a petition to terminate parental rights within 60 calendar days from the date of the entry of the order unless the court makes written findings regarding why the petition cannot be filed within 60 days. If the court makes findings to the contrary, the court shall specify the time frame in which any needed petition to terminate parental rights shall be filed.

(n) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Article, the court may waive the holding of hearings required by this section, may require written reports to the court by the agency or person holding custody in lieu of permanency planning hearings, or order that permanency planning hearings be held less often than every six months if the court finds by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence each of the following:

(1) The juvenile has resided in the placement for a period of at least one year or the juvenile has resided in the placement for at least six consecutive months and the court enters a consent order pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-801(b1).

(2) The placement is stable and continuation of the placement is in the juvenile’s best interests.

(3) Neither the juvenile’s best interests nor the rights of any party require that permanency planning hearings be held every six months.

(4) All parties are aware that the matter may be brought before the court for review at any time by the filing of a motion for review or on the court’s own motion.

(5) The court order has designated the relative or other suitable person as the juvenile’s permanent custodian or guardian of the person.

The court may not waive or refuse to conduct a hearing if a party files a motion seeking the hearing. However, if a guardian of the person has been appointed for the juvenile and the court has also made findings in accordance with subsection (n) of this section that guardianship is the permanent plan for the juvenile, the court shall proceed in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-600(b).

(o) Permanency planning hearings under this section shall be replaced by post termination of parental rights’ placement review hearings when required by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-908 (2013-129, s. 26; 2015-136, ss. 13, 17; 2016-94, s. 12C.1(g1); 2017-161, s. 8; 2019-33, s. 10; 2021-100, s. 10; 2021-132, s. 1(h).)