美国终止父母权利制度述评

终止父母权利是美国儿童保护制度逐步发展的一个重要成果，也是美国用来保护受虐待和受忽视儿童、干预父母子女关系的最严厉手段。鉴于父母子女关系的重要价值和终止父母权利的严重性，父母权利的终止必须经过一系列正当程序后才能够最终裁定，而这些程序主要是以基于父母权利为中心的法律框架进行的。这表明美国终止父母权利制度并未能将儿童最大利益原则真正落实到位。尽管如此，美国的终止父母权利制度较为成熟完善的模式和理念对于我国现阶段完善儿童保护和儿童福利制度仍然具有较大的借鉴意义。

Termination of Parental Rights in the United States

Termination of parental rights, as an important proceeding of the American child protection system, became the most severe measure to protect kids suffering from abuse or neglect and interfere with the relationship between parents and children. Considering the significant value of the parent-child relationship and the seriousness of parental termination, parental rights could not be deprived until fulfilling a series of proceedings framed in terms of parental rights. This reveals that the child’s best interest has no place in the termination of parental rights proceedings. Nevertheless, the pattern and idea of parental termination in the United Stated still provides great inspiration for China to reform its child protection and welfare system.