Third party petition for child visitation must contain specific, good faith allegations that the petitioner has a relationship with the child that is similar in nature to a parent-child relationship, and specific, good faith allegations that the denial of the visitation will cause real and significant harm to the child. The degree of specificity of the allegations in a third party petition for child visitation must be sufficient to justify requiring the fit parent to subject his or her parental judgment to unwanted litigation; only if specific, good faith allegations are made will a court have jurisdiction over the petition. Therefore, allegations in third party petition for child visitation that petitioner had “very strong bond” with the child, that the child “suffered” and was “very emotional” when unable to see petitioner, and that petitioner played significant role in caring for child's “severe health conditions” failed to allege jurisdictional element that denial of visitation would inflict real and substantial harm on the child; petition did not specify what harm the child would suffer if denied visitation, and did not rise to the level of neglect, abuse, or abandonment necessary to establish subject matter jurisdiction.
176 Conn. App. 451
(Connecticut Appellate Court, September 19, 2017)