Opinion ID: 1986881
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Evidence of a lack of family support for Mother and the twins

Text: The trial court referenced a lack of family support in its decision to terminate Mother's parental rights. A DFS employee testified that Mother's relatives requested custody of the twins when they were still in her custody. Mother, however, initially refused to consider family members as foster or adoptive parents. After the twins returned from the United Kingdom and were in DFS custody, DFS informed Mother that any of her relatives interested in custody of the twins should contact DFS. None of the relatives came forward until the twins' maternal grandmother offered to adopt them after they were in foster care for 11 months. A DFS employee testified that the maternal grandmother offered to adopt the twins and then rescinded that proposal within the same telephone conversation. The twins' maternal grandmother also told a DFS worker she was willing to help with J.G. and J.S., Mother's sons, but she was not willing to help Mother with the twins, who were Mother's responsibility. Mother testified that the boys began staying with their grandmother in the fall of 2000 to facilitate their attendance in the Ladue school district. The twins' father maintains visitation rights to N.W., and he also has child support obligations for her. His parental rights as to the twins, however, were voluntarily terminated in October 2002.