Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-2-416

This is the official text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-2-416, part of Tennessee’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Tennessee, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Notice of hearing to foster parent, adoptive parent or relative providing care

Official statutory text

(a) The department shall notify the foster parents, if any, or any prospective adoptive parent or relative providing care for the child in state custody with notice of any review or hearing to be held with respect to the child. The foster parents, if any, of such a child and any prospective adoptive parent or relative providing care for the child shall be provided with notice of the right to be heard in any review or hearing to be held with respect to the child, except that this section shall not be construed to require that any foster parent, prospective adoptive parent, or relative providing care for the child who has served as the physical placement for the child for a period of fewer than nine (9) continuous months be made a party to such a review or hearing solely on the basis of such notice and right to be heard. (b) Any foster parent who has served as the physical placement for the child for a period of nine (9) or more continuous months shall be permitted to appear for the sole purpose of presenting evidence with regard to the best interests of the child. (c) At each hearing, the court shall determine whether the department has complied with this section. Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 263, s 13, eff. 7/1/2023. Acts 1998, ch. 1097, § 22; 2007 , ch. 372, § 11; 2008 , ch. 906, § 3.
(a) The department shall notify the foster parents, if any, or any prospective adoptive parent or relative providing care for the child in state custody with notice of any review or hearing to be held with respect to the child. The foster parents, if any, of such a child and any prospective adoptive parent or relative providing care for the child shall be provided with notice of the right to be heard in any review or hearing to be held with respect to the child, except that this section shall not be construed to require that any foster parent, prospective adoptive parent, or relative providing care for the child who has served as the physical placement for the child for a period of fewer than nine (9) continuous months be made a party to such a review or hearing solely on the basis of such notice and right to be heard.
(b) Any foster parent who has served as the physical placement for the child for a period of nine (9) or more continuous months shall be permitted to appear for the sole purpose of presenting evidence with regard to the best interests of the child.
(c) At each hearing, the court shall determine whether the department has complied with this section.
Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 263, s 13, eff. 7/1/2023.
Acts 1998, ch. 1097, § 22; 2007 , ch. 372, § 11; 2008 , ch. 906, § 3.

Status: in_force

Need a lawyer in Tennessee?

Find a Tennessee lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.