Scheduling the permanency hearing

The committing court shall schedule the first permanency hearing at the original commitment, grant of care or custody, or transfer of responsibility of a child or young adult to the Department by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, and at each permanency hearing, the court shall schedule the next permanency hearing. Except, however, if the underlying case is a child requiring assistance petition, the court shall schedule a permanency hearing at the first dispositional review hearing. Nothing in this rule shall be read to prevent the parties from requesting, or the court from scheduling, a permanency hearing more frequently than required. (1) The court shall conduct the first permanency hearing within twelve (12) months of the date the child or young adult first entered the care, custody, or responsibility of the Department. Subsequent permanency hearings shall be held no less frequently than every twelve (12) months thereafter, while the child or young adult remains in the care or custody or under the responsibility of the Department. (2) If the court has determined that reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify the family are not required pursuant to G .L. c. 119, § 29C , a permanency hearing shall be held within thirty (30) days of the court's determination that no reasonable efforts are required.