In re BC, 2013 VT
58
In the movies bad situations exist largely to provide
motivation for the plot: single father with mental disabilities tries to raise
his child as a single parent; he struggles against the system but calls upon
his pluck, eccentric circle of friends, and love of the Beatles to overcome the
odds. Even though the child is given to
a foster home, everyone recognizes that she belongs with him, and in a sudden dénouement,
she is returned. Cue the swelling music.
In real life, adversity exists in and of itself. Bad things happen to good people, not to
provide them with a way to “meet-cute,” but because we live in a universe in
which chaos and nonsense battle order and structure on a regular basis.
Today’s appeal is about child custody and termination of
parental rights, which puts us squarely in the arena of bad things that
happen.
Child was born in 2004.
Parents split in 2006 and mom received sole custody with father having
visitation rights. Shortly thereafter,
Department of Children and Families (DCF) received reports that mother was
abusing drugs, abusing the child, and was exposing the child to known and
registered sex offenders. Child was sent
to mother’s father and then to mother’s mother, but the damage appears to have
been done. Child was eventually adopted
by the maternal grandmother, but the child struggled with serious behavioral
issues, including what was later diagnosed as post-traumatic stress
disorder.
Things got worse in 2011 when DCF determined that child was
CHINS (CHild-In-Need-of-care-or-Supervision) and placed him in a group
home. At first father and other family
members were allowed to visit child, but these visits proved disastrous. Family members behaved badly and
inappropriately during the visits (the SCOV does not provide detail), and the
very thought of the visits caused child stress and concern that reflected in
his behavior and outbursts.
DCF, upon the recommendation of an evaluating psychologist,
ended the family visitations and placed child in a therapeutic foster
home.
At a disposition hearing for child, the evaluating
psychologist testified that child had a range of emotional issues including
acting out, aggressiveness, self-harming, and sexualized behaviors. Child, in psychologist’s opinion, needed a
permanent relationship with a stable caregiver to provide support given child’s
age and numerous behavior issues.
While it appears that the problems with mother got these issues
rolling, the psychologist went on to note that father’s situation was not much
better. Father had stopped using cocaine
but still smoked marijuana. Due to his
low IQ, father could only complete the most basic caregiver functions and then
only with supervision. Father’s mental
capacity was deemed to be the equivalent of a seven- or eight-year old. While father could benefit from training, he
was determined by the psychologist as likely to always need help and
supervision for the basic tasks in life.
Initially, DCF endorsed a plan that would eventually reunite
child with parents, following parents successful completion of training
classes, but the attorney assigned to the child objected and sought a
termination of parental rights.
More motions meant more hearings, and at the next one,
mother showed up and gave up her parental rights. Exit mother, stage right.
Father did not relinquish his rights, but DCF put forward evidence
showing that father was struggling with his training. Despite attending classes, father continued
to fail to grasp the significant issues that child continued to face. On that front, the court also heard evidence
about child’s violent outbursts at two therapeutic foster homes and his
re-hospitalizations.
What was not at issue was father’s love for the child and
father’s distress caused by the separation from his child. The trial court acknowledged as much in its
final decision, but the trial court was required to look to the best interests
of the child, which based on the testimony of the various experts, was that the
child needed skilled, one-on-one treatment and care that father was simply
unable and unlikely to ever give.
In other words, dancing around to Aimee Mann
singing “Two of Us” and hoping for the best, simply was not going to cut
it. Father’s parental rights were
permanently terminated.
On appeal, father lobs three major arguments that fail to
find purchase with the SCOV.
First, father argues that his parental rights were initially
terminated when child was removed to DCF custody without a finding and evidence
that father lacked fitness to raise child.
The SCOV notes that while permanent termination does require
such a finding, the facts here show that the initial removal was done on a
temporary basis. The problem, the SCOV
notes, is that it took DCF and the trial court nearly a year to sort the whole
mess out through hearings, evidentiary proceedings, and written findings. The SCOV is none too pleased with the delay,
but in light of the totality of circumstances, the SCOV finds more than enough
evidentiary support to determine that father and his family lacked the capacity
to care for child.
Second, father argues that he never had a chance to have his
own, independent expert examine child.
There is not much to this argument in the SCOV’s opinion. Such additional, independent examinations are
allowed by the court for good reason and not as a matter of right. The experts in this case from child’s social
worker on up to the various psychologists testified consistently about child’s behavioral
issues. There simply wasn’t the basis to
justify adding another expert to the evidentiary pot.
Father’s third argument is a longshot. He contests the factual conclusions of the
trial court and argues that the evidence does not support the ultimate
conclusions to terminate parental rights on a permanent basis.
This is hard because while it is often the first argument
that clients want to make, challenging the findings of the trial court, it is
the last argument that the SCOV is likely to consider. Basically, the SCOV works in this area under
an abuse of discretion standard. Unless,
the evidence shows no support or a distinctive lack of support for the
decision, the trial court’s finding will be upheld. Despite the fact that father could show that
he loves his child and that he was trying to be a better father, it is not
enough to overturn the trial court’s findings that father lacked the ability or
understanding to care for child in light of child’s extensive needs.
So the termination of father’s parental rights is affirmed,
and child will, for the foreseeable future, remain a ward of the state. There were no last minute reprieves or
recognition that love conquers cognitive behavioral standards.
One is left with the hope that the state will find the right
combination of competent caregivers and stability that will enable child to
overcome the huge disabilities with which he is, at a young age, already burdened. Father meanwhile will have to swallow hard on
his grief and rest on what comfort comes elsewhere. You know, just like in Hollywood.
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