Judge Ann O'Shea
Administration for Children's Services (ACS) filed a petition against respondent parents alleging their son, VP Jr., was a neglected child. VP Jr. was removed and remanded to the care and custody of the Commissioner. Edwin Gould Services (EGS), the foster care agency supervising VP Jr.'s placement, moved for an order authorizing it to place the child in the home of his maternal grandparents and directing ACS to file an application for expedited placement under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. Mother opposed arguing grandparents were not suitable, and such placement would undermine reunification of VP Jr. with parents. The court ruled EGS was not a party to a neglect proceeding and was not granted authority by the legislature as a nonparty to intervene or ask for relief. It stated while certain non-parties were given limited rights to intervene or be heard in portions of neglect proceedings, contract agencies, such as EGS, were not included among them. Thus, the legislature's omission of contract agencies from the specific parties and non-parties who were afforded an opportunity to be heard in Article 10 abuse and neglect actions was intentional. Hence, the court found EGS had no standing in an Article 10 action to make applications to the court, denying its motion.
