Art. 711 Simultaneous hearings

Here's a plain English summary of this rule.

When a child is in foster care, the court usually holds two different kinds of hearings: case review hearings (to check on how things are going) and permanency hearings (to decide on a long term plan for the child, like reunification or adoption). This rule says the court can hold both hearings at the same time, as long as certain conditions are met.

The court still has to make all the same findings and decisions it would normally make in each hearing separately. Combining the hearings just saves time and avoids scheduling two separate court dates. It does not let the judge skip any steps or requirements that would normally apply to either hearing.

For families and children involved in a case, this means fewer court appearances, but the same level of review. The judge must still cover everything required by law for both the case review and the permanency decision, even though it happens in one hearing instead of two.