Opinion ID: 1394560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Role of Anthony M. in these proceedings

Text: The appellant also objected throughout the course of the underlying proceeding to the granting of an improvement period to Anthony M., on standing issues as well as because of the prior termination of his parental rights to two other children. As to the standing, if any, of Anthony M. to participate in these proceedings, Anthony M. obviously was not the parent of any of Robin M.'s children. At the time of the filing of the initial petition alleging Robin M.'s children were abused and neglected, however, Anthony M. resided in the home of Robin M., along with the children, and acted in the role of stepfather to the children. We thus determine that inasmuch as Anthony M. resided with Robin M. and the children prior to the filing of this initial abuse and neglect petition, and in view of his actual involvement in the children's lives, he was a custodian entitled to fully participate in these proceedings. Anthony M. therefore has standing in this matter. We must next address the effect of the prior termination of Anthony M.'s parental rights first as they related to Robin M., and secondly, in his role as a custodian of the children. We note from the outset that this is not a case where the Department would be required to seek the termination of Robin M.'s parental rights because of the previous termination of Anthony M.'s parental rights to his other children. The provisions of West Virginia Code § 49-6-5b (2006) (Repl.Vol. 2009), which detail when the Department must initiate or join in a proceeding to terminate parental rights, would not apply in this case, inasmuch as the children of Anthony M. are not siblings of Robin M.'s children. [12] That is not to say, however, that the effect of the prior termination of Anthony M.'s parental rights is not an important point for the circuit court's inquiry, and certainly so if the question is whether to extend to Anthony M. the right to an improvement period. Anthony M.'s presence in the case was attendant to his marriage to the mother of the children and his role as their stepparent. Again, we cannot conclude that it was error for the circuit court to allow Anthony M. to fully participate in these proceedings as the spouse of the children's mother and as their stepfather. C.