In re Isabella S.

Syllabus

The respondent parents appealed from the trial court's denial of their applica- tion for a declaratory judgment and a writ of mandamus, in which they sought to compel the Department of Children and Families to place their minor child in a residential treatment setting to address her mental health needs. The respondents claimed, inter alia, that the court had misinterpreted the meaning and the finality of the underlying decision by a hearing officer for the department, which had ordered the department to explore appropriate residential care for the child, who previously had been committed to the care and custody of the petitioner, the Commissioner of Children and Fami- lies. Held: The trial court properly denied the respondents' application for a declaratory judgment and a writ of mandamus, as the hearing officer's decision contained no language expressly requiring the department to place the child in a residential treatment program but, rather, ordered the department to revise its existing treatment plan for the child and to explore the possibility of placing her in a residential treatment program, if such a placement was appropriate to achieving her reunification with the respondents. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining that the extraordi- nary remedy of mandamus was inappropriate under the circumstances at issue, as the hearing officer's decision did not create a clear right in the respondents to the remedy they sought but, rather, granted them the right to have the department devise a new treatment plan and to continue to look into the possibility of residential placement for the child, after which the respondents could pursue further relief from the department if they remained unsatisfied with its efforts. Argued January 15—officially released March 24, 2025 In accordance with the spirit and intent of General Statutes § 46b-142 (b) and Practice Book § 79a-12, the names of the parties involved in this appeal are not disclosed. The records