Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-707 (2026)

(Formerly Sec. 45-61b). Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026

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As used in sections 45a-187, 45a-706 to 45a-709, inclusive, 45a-715 to 45a-718, inclusive, and 45a-724 to 45a-737, inclusive:

(1) “Adoption” means the establishment by court order of the legal relationship of parent and child;

(2) “Child care facility” means a congregate residential setting for the out-of-home placement of children or youths under eighteen years of age, licensed by the Department of Children and Families;

(3) “Child-placing agency” means any agency within or without the state of Connecticut licensed or approved by the Commissioner of Children and Families in accordance with sections 17a-149 and 17a-151, and in accordance with standards established by regulations of the Commissioner of Children and Families;

(4) “Guardianship” means guardianship, unless otherwise specified, of the person of a minor and refers to the obligation of care and control, the right to custody and the duty and authority to make major decisions affecting the minor's welfare, including, but not limited to, consent determinations regarding marriage, enlistment in the armed forces and major medical, psychiatric or surgical treatment;

(5) “Parent” has the same meaning as provided in section 46b-451;

(6) “Relative” means any person descended from a common ancestor, whether by blood or adoption, not more than three generations removed from the child;

(7) “Statutory parent” means the Commissioner of Children and Families or the child-placing agency appointed by the court for the purpose of the adoption of a minor child or minor children;

(8) “Termination of parental rights” means the complete severance by court order of the legal relationship, with all its rights and responsibilities, between the child and the child's parent or parents so that the child is free for adoption except it shall not affect the right of inheritance of the child or the religious affiliation of the child.

(P.A. 73-156, S. 2; P.A. 74-164, S. 1, 20; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 521, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-631, S. 76, 111; P.A. 80-476, S. 141; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-349, S. 3; P.A. 96-130, S. 3; P.A. 99-166, S. 8; P.A. 06-196, S. 169; P.A. 21-15, S. 106.)

History: P.A. 74-164 redefined “statutory parent” and added definitions of “child-placing agency”, “child-care agency”, “parent”, “adoption”, “guardianship”, and “termination of parental rights”; P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services in definitions of “statutory parent” and “child-placing agency”; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced social services commissioner with commissioner of human resources, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-631 replaced human resources commissioner with commissioner of children and youth services; P.A. 80-476 reorganized definitions to appear in alphabetical order and rephrased provisions; Sec. 45-61b transferred to Sec. 45a-707 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-349 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “child care agency” definition with “child care facility” definition; P.A. 96-130 deleted references to Secs. 17a-91, 17a-112, 17a-113, 17a-148 and 52-231a, redefined “parent” and added definition of “relative” and replaced alphabetic Subdiv. indicators with numeric indicators for consistency with customary statutory usage; P.A. 99-166 amended definition of “statutory parent” in Subdiv. (7) by changing “giving in adoption” to “the adoption of”; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subdiv. (2), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 21-15, redefined “parent” in Subdiv. (5), effective January 1, 2022.

Annotations to former section 45-61b:

Cited. 177 C. 648; 181 C. 638; 182 C. 545; 183 C. 11; 194 C. 252; 196 C. 18. Public policy reflected in this section and Secs. 45-63 and 45-64a does not forbid agreement about visitation rights between genetic and adoptive parents subject to consideration of best interest of the child. 209 C. 407. Cited. 210 C. 157; 214 C. 560; 215 C. 31; 217 C. 459; 224 C. 263.

Cited. 1 CA 463; 2 CA 705; 8 CA 92; 19 CA 371; 24 CA 338; 29 CA 112.

Annotations to present section:

Cited 217 C. 459; 223 C. 492; 224 C. 263; 234 C. 194.

Cited. 33 CA 12; 40 CA 675.

Cited. 43 CS 108; 45 CS 33.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 28 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1992–2025 · leading case: Fish v. Fish, 939 A.2d 1040 (Conn. 2008).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Fish v. Fish, 939 A.2d 1040 (Conn. 2008). · cites it 8× “If the child is committed to the department, the state thereafter may seek to continue the placement, to return the child to the parent or to terminate parental rights. General Statutes §§ 17a-111a and 46b-129 (k)(2).”

In re Baby Z., 724 A.2d 1035 (Conn. 1999). · cites it 12× “” General Statutes § 45a-707 (f). It is undisputed that neither Anne nor Malinda is Baby Z.”

Raftopol v. Ramey, 12 A.3d 783 (Conn. 2011). · cites it 8× “) General Statutes § 45a-707 (8). Reading these two subdivisions of the same statute together suggests that only persons who are biological or adoptive parents have parental rights with respect to the subject children.”

Nancy G. v. Dep't of Child. & Families, 733 A.2d 136 (Conn. 1999). · cites it 13× “) General Statutes § 45a-707 (3). 6 Thus, the most that can be inferred from the Probate Court’s granting of Jonathan’s adoption is that the court either determined that he had been “placed” for adoption by a licensed child-placing agency (i.”

In re Joshua S., 796 A.2d 1141 (Conn. 2002). · cites it 4× “Although we emphasize that we do not condone the specific instances of misconduct perpetrated by the department in its handling of this case, it does not alter the resolution of this issue. “A statutory parent is defined as ‘the [commissioner] or the child-placing agency…”

In re Valerie D., 613 A.2d 748 (Conn. 1992). · cites it 3× “” General Statutes § 45a-707 (e). “ ‘Child’ means any person under sixteen years of age.”

In re Bruce R., 662 A.2d 107 (Conn. 1995). · cites it 4× “General Statutes § 45a-707 (g). 6 It would be anathema for our law to allow parents to terminate voluntarily their parental rights “solely for the purpose of evading or relieving [themselves] of responsibility to pay child support.”

In re Jacob W., 172 A.3d 1274 (Conn. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 4× “See General Statutes § 45a-707(7) ( " 'Statutory parent' means the Commissioner of Children and Families or the child-placing agency appointed by the court for the purpose of the adoption of a minor child or minor children") and § 45a-717(g) (permitting court to appoint…”

In re Jacob W., 200 A.3d 1091 (Conn. 2019). · cites it 2× “It is, accordingly, a most serious and sensitive judicial action.”

In re Kezia M., 632 A.2d 1122 (Conn. App. Ct. 1993). · cites it 2× “The respondents, Kenneth and his mother, Mary, appeal from this judgment terminating Kenneth’s parental rights as to Kezia.”

In re Jessica M., 802 A.2d 197 (Conn. App. Ct. 2002). · cites it 2× “See General Statutes § 45a-707 (8); In re Bruce R.”

In re Carissa K., 740 A.2d 896 (Conn. App. Ct. 1999). · cites it 2× “7 “ ‘Termination of parental rights’ means the complete severance by court order of the legal relationship, with all its rights and responsibilities, between the child and the child’s parent or parents .”

Show all 28 citing cases →

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-707(7) — 1 case

In re Jacob W., 172 A.3d 1274 (Conn. App. Ct. 2017). “See General Statutes § 45a-707(7) ( " 'Statutory parent' means the Commissioner of Children and Families or the child-placing agency appointed by the court for the purpose of the adoption of a minor child or minor children") and § 45a-717(g) (permitting court to appoint…”

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-707(8) — 2 cases

In re Kyllan V., 181 A.3d 606 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018).

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.