Delays in achieving permanency was influenced by the local agency's requirement to exhaust relative placement options that would preserve the subject child's placement with her siblings.  Further influencing delays in achieving permanency was the local agency's requirement to follow the 10 Best Interest Factors defined in MN State Statute 260C.212 subd. 2 (b) for the placement of the subject child and her siblings.  Specifically. this was evidenced by the subject child's significant mental health needs and the agency's need to prioritize a relative placement option that could meet the high needs of the subject child while also being the subject child's placement preference as required in the 10 best interest factor considerations.

Delays to achieve the permanency preference was influenced by the fact the permanency option lived in a different county and needed to be licensed by that county.  Additionally, staffing limitations existed in the agency responsible for licensing the permanency option, which delayed permanency for the subject child. 

The agency's need to balance the multiple competing priorities of relative placement, sibling preservation, the 10 Best Interests Factors, and permanency timelines also contributed to the delays in achieving permanency.

Further contributing to permanency delays was that the burden of proof criteria under 260C.301 to meet the requirements to terminate parental rights and move towards permanency for the subject child and her siblings had not been met when the case came into the second county of jurisdiction.  The second county wanted to give the family an opportunity to work the case plan towards reunification and wanted to complete a case plan with the subject child's father as this had not been previously done in the first county of jurisdiction.  

Lastly, the near fatal critical incident itself further contributed to delays in permanency due to the local agency prioritizing the subject child's mental health needs over the achievement of permanency.  This included placing the child in a residential treatment facility to ensure the subject child's safety and meet her high level of mental health needs.