Opinion ID: 888596
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Specific Circumstances of Prior Involuntary Termination

Text: ¶ 20 Father and Mother contend that the District Court failed to specify which circumstances of the previous involuntary termination were relevant to their ability to care for A.H.D. The parents claim that the termination order did not reference any specific circumstances of the previous termination. They argue that without the specific circumstances, a court cannot compare A.H.D.'s situation to the situation of her siblings, let alone determine that clear and convincing evidence establishes that those circumstances are relevant to the current termination proceeding. Accordingly, the parents assert that the District Court abused its discretion when it failed to make such specific findings. ¶ 21 As outlined above, the court may order the termination of the parent-child relationship, upon a finding established by clear and convincing evidence, that any of the circumstances enumerated in § 41-3-609(1)(a)-(f), MCA, exist. Section 41-3-609(1), MCA; In re K.J.B., ¶ 27. One of these circumstances is that the parent has subjected a child to any of the circumstances listed in § 41-3-423(2)(a)-(e), MCA. Section 41-3-609(1)(d), MCA; In re K.J.B., ¶ 27. Most relevant to this appeal, § 41-3-423(2)(e), MCA, provides that DPHHS need not make reasonable efforts to provide preservation or reunification services if the court finds that the parent has had parental rights to the child's sibling or other child of the parent involuntarily terminated and the circumstances related to the termination of parental rights are relevant to the parent's ability to adequately care for the child at issue. Section 41-3-423(2)(e), MCA; In re K.J.B., ¶ 28. We have determined that the circumstances of a prior termination continue to be relevant in a later termination of a sibling under §§ 41-3-609(1)(d) and 41-3-423(2)(e), MCA, unless the circumstances have changed. In re A.P., ¶ 30. To satisfy the relevant statutory requirements for terminating a parent-child relationship, a district court must make specific factual findings. In re K.J.B., ¶ 23. ¶ 22 The State asserts that the District Court's termination order must be read in conjunction with the Lake County termination order and the March 12 order. Stating that the findings and conclusions in the March 12 order were relevant and applicable, the District Court incorporated them into the termination order. In the March 12 order, the District Court specifically found that Father and Mother had their parental rights to S.D. and T.D. involuntarily terminated pursuant to § 41-3-609(1)(f), MCA, and the circumstances related to the termination of their parental rights were relevant to their ability to adequately care for A.H.D. In the termination order, the District Court reiterated that these findings were the ground for the court's determination that reunification services need not be provided. ¶ 23 We agree with the State that the District Court did not err in determining that the circumstances related to the termination of Father's and Mother's parental rights with respect to S.D. and T.D. were relevant to their ability to adequately care for A.H.D. The order terminating Father's and Mother's parental rights to A.H.D. must be considered in conjunction with the March 12 order, along with the testimony presented at the two hearings. In the termination order, the District Court specifically found that the parents' inability to satisfy the elements of their Lake County Treatment Plan and their ultimate termination of parental rights, as well as the continuing concerns with the same parenting deficiencies, their inability to improve their parenting skills, and their failure to visit their child despite being given opportunities to do so, indicate their inability to exercise their fundamental parental rights as the child's parents. ¶ 24 The District Court found that it had been determined that Mother had little capacity for true intimacy or true self-reflection and exhibited an essentially unresolved dismissive style of attachment consistent with her lack of attachments during childhood. Although the treatment plan recommended intensive therapy for Mother, the District Court found that she failed to follow through with counseling and quit attending sessions in the spring of 2005. In addition, Father refused to attend therapy sessions with Mother as recommended and did not follow through with obtaining another psychological evaluation and parenting assessment as recommended. ¶ 25 The District Court also found that the parents failed to follow through with several of the parenting services provided for them in relation to S.D. and T.D. Specifically, the District Court found that they attended only 23.45 hours of an offered 109.5 hours of parenting education. The District Court further found that of the 65 arranged visits between the parents and S.D. and T.D., the parents arrived late for most visits, cancelled 26 visits, and failed to appear for three visits, despite DPHHS providing them with transportation. Furthermore, the parents cancelled scheduled appointments with service providers, including AWARE and the Child Development Center, and failed to maintain contact with their social workers. The District Court also found, citing the Lake County termination order, that in the approximately sixteen months that the Lake County DPHHS worked with Father and Mother, they were given every opportunity to comply with their treatment plan, but they chose not to do so. ¶ 26 The District Court's findings of fact pertaining specifically to the parenting of A.H.D. support its conclusion that the above-described circumstances related to the termination of parental rights as to S.D. and T.D. remained relevant to the parents' ability to adequately care for A.H.D. The District Court first noted that at the time of the hearings, A.H.D. was eight to ten months old, and in the previous termination, T.D. was ten months to two years old. The District Court found that the same risks that were present for T.D., given her infancy and reliance on caregivers for basic needs, applied to A.H.D. ¶ 27 The District Court addressed the testimony of visitation specialist Kelli Becker, who noted that Mother continued to require prompting as to meeting A.H.D.'s basic needs and that she was unable to consistently replicate or demonstrate these parenting skills during visits with A.H.D. The District Court specifically found that Mother had exhibited these same basic parenting limitations with her older children, thus demonstrating that the circumstances that led to the previous termination remained relevant to Mother's ability to care for A.H.D. ¶ 28 Furthermore, the District Court found that in the visits with A.H.D., the parents demonstrated considerable difficulty in accepting redirection or changing behaviors that were detrimental to their children. The District Court found that Mother continued to demonstrate a lack of understanding of basic parenting skills, while Father failed to demonstrate an ability to carry out regular parenting activities and typically directed Mother to complete the parenting tasks while he observed. The District Court found that he was unsupportive of Mother, which contradicted counselor recommendations. ¶ 29 The District Court also noted Mother's failure to follow through with mental health recommendations. The court found that she had significant mental health issues including depression and emotional issues that impacted her ability to parent. Based on the testimony of social workers Schlenz and Becker at the hearing, the court found that despite recommendations for therapy and referrals to parenting classes, Mother failed to engage in those services. Given Mother's and Father's failure to comply with therapy or parenting class recommendations in the previous termination, the District Court's findings with regard to A.H.D. again demonstrate that the circumstances that led to the previous termination continued to be relevant. ¶ 30 On the issue of visitation, the District Court found that although DPHHS provided resources and continued to facilitate visitations, the [parents] continued their pattern of failing to participate in offered services. The District Court specifically noted their failure to maintain contact with social worker Schlenz. When the parents did contact Schlenz, the District Court found that the contacts were often fraught with hostility and resistance from the parents. The District Court specifically noted that the parents chose to take a break from doing visits with A.H.D. following the termination of their parental rights to S.D. and T.D., which the court said demonstrated their lack of dedication to parenting. Father and Mother did not have a single visit with A.H.D. from July 5, 2006 to October 6, 2006, which the court found was predominantly due to the parents' failure to contact DPHHS. The court found that their pattern of missing visits with A.H.D. continued in 2007 as well. These findings clearly support the District Court's finding that the circumstances related to the termination of Father's and Mother's parental rights to S.D. and T.D. remained relevant to their ability to care for A.H.D., given their documented prior failings in keeping in contact with DPHHS. ¶ 31 The District Court further found that from August of 2004 to May of 2006, the [parents] exhibited patterns of behavior demonstrating an inability to provide basic parenting for their eldest children; these patterns are certainly germane to their ability to care for A.H.D. in light of the pervasiveness of their indifference towards parenting S.D. and T.D. (i.e., not an isolated incidence or issue). These patterns continued from the time of A.H.D.'s birth to the present. The [parents] lack insight into fundamental parenting knowledge and have been oppositional to all services offered to assist them in improving their skills. Later, the court specifically found that the parents have failed to demonstrate consistency and predictability in meeting the needs of their child(ren) and the same concerns that were present in the Lake County case that lead [sic] to termination of their parental rights remain a concern as to their ability to parent A.H.D. ¶ 32 The findings of fact in both the March 12 order and the termination order clearly demonstrate and support the District Court's finding that the circumstances that led to the termination of Father's and Mother's parental rights to S.D. and T.D. were on-going in nature and remained relevant to their ability to care for A.H.D. Father and Mother failed to comply with the Lake County treatment plan. As a result, the Lake County District Court terminated the parent-child relationship between the parents and S.D. and T.D. The same circumstances that illustrated their failure to comply with the treatment plan were clearly present and unchanged in their parenting of A.H.D., as demonstrated by the District Court's findings. Contrary to the parents' assertion, the District Court specifically identified the circumstances of the earlier termination that remained relevant to the termination of their rights to A.H.D. ¶ 33 To the extent that Father and Mother challenge whether any peculiar circumstances existed at all to support the termination of their parental rights, we note that the District Court's findings of fact were supported by substantial evidence. In its findings of fact, the District Court even cited to the record and the testimony at the hearings. The parents point out that S.D. and T.D. were removed from the family home due to unsafe living conditions and claim that these circumstances are easily remedied. The parents note that they moved to a new home in a different city prior to A.H.D.'s birth and they testified at trial that the home was safe and clean for a child. The parents claim that no one from the department even inspected the new home and that the District Court failed to mention this change in circumstances in its findings. The parents' contention is without merit, however, as we note that in the Lake County termination order, the Lake County District Court found that DPHHS was unable to inspect the parents' Whitefish home because of the parents' vague schedule and lack of cooperation in arranging visits. The Flathead County District Court also made specific findings illustrating the difficulties DPHHS had in maintaining contact with the parents. Ultimately, the District Court's findings and a review of the record demonstrate that there were numerous circumstances supporting the termination of Father's and Mother's parental rights. ¶ 34 We hold that the District Court did not err in finding that the circumstances related to the termination of Father's and Mother's parental rights to S.D. and T.D. were relevant to their ability to care for A.H.D.