Venue of a proceeding under article 10 of the FCA may be:

• A. county where child resided at time child abuse act occurred
• B. county where the defendant resides
• C. county where the abuse act occurred
• D. county of filing

Answer: (A)

Venue for proceedings under Article 10 of the Family Court Act is determined by the county where the child resided at the time the alleged abuse occurred. This ties the case to the child’s ties to a community, making it easier for witnesses to appear, for services to be accessed, and for the court to consider the child’s best interests in a familiar setting. Saying the venue is where the defendant resides, where the act occurred, or merely where the petition is filed would not align with this rule, because those locations don’t reflect the child’s stable connection to a particular jurisdiction at the time of the incident. If the child’s residence has changed since the act, there may be procedures to address transfers, but the governing principle is the child’s residence at the time of the alleged abuse.