Avery v. Department of Social & Health Services

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) seeks review of a Court of Appeals decision reinstating an adoption petition brought by Gary and Dorothy Avery, grandparents of B.T., a child whose parents’ rights had been terminated. The Court of Appeals held that as B.T.’s grandparents, the Averys are her “natural guardians,” which gave them both standing to seek adoption and preference in the adoption decision, subject to the child’s best interest. We conclude that grandparents who seek to intervene in a posttermination adop*412tion proceeding have standing via statute;…