In New York State, How long must a parent go without contact with his/her child before their rights can be taken away permanently.

Termination of Parental Rights, especially involuntarily is a difficult thing to get. Generally its only granted to clear the way for adoption.

Why do you want to?

In Ohio it is 6 months with no contact, interest, or child support... nothing what so ever.
Even then, that is just the basic requirement to be able to petition to have rights terminated. You would still have to go to court, and the judge would have to decide weather it is in the best interest of the child to terminate parental rights. And most judges will not do that unless there is someone willing to adopt the child in the parents place.

I know you are in New York, but at least that is a guideline, you would have to consult an attorney.

Please do not use PMs for followups. Ten years is more than enough to give it a try, but it will be an uphill battle.

It generally isn't a question of time. It's not likely that any court would totally take a parent's rights away, except for cases of extreme abuse. They may be severely curtailed if a parent is proven to be unfit in one regard or another, but not totally taken away.

Thanks