New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services v. C.M. (A-74-08) 6-1-10
The judgment of the trial court terminating C.M.’s
parental rights is vacated. Defendant C.M. did not
endanger his child’s safety, health or development, he
was willing to provide a safe and stable home for the
child, DYFS failed to make reasonable efforts to
provide services to help C.M. correct the
circumstances that led to his child’s placement
outside the home, the trial court did not consider, in
any substantive manner, alternatives to termination of
parental rights, and there is no basis in the record
to conclude that termination of C.M.’s parental rights
to the child will not do more harm than good. In
these circumstances, severing C.M.’s ties to his son
constituted a gross and unwarranted abuse of the
State’s extraordinary power over its citi
