Opinion ID: 884294
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Did the District Court err in terminating the parental rights of Toni and Kevin?

Text: We have previously stated that because the termination of parental rights involves fundamental liberty interests, the party seeking termination must present clear and convincing evidence that the prerequisite statutory criteria for termination have been met. Matter of J.L. (1996), 277 Mont. 284, 288, 922 P.2d 459, 461 (citing Matter of Custody and Parental Rights of M.M. (1995), 271 Mont. 52, 56, 894 P.2d 298, 301; Matter of J.R. (1992), 253 Mont. 434, 438, 833 P.2d 1063, 1066). Section 41-3-609, MCA, sets forth the criteria for termination: (1) The court may order a termination of the parent-child legal relationship upon a finding that any of the following circumstances exist: ... (c) the child is an adjudicated youth in need of care and both of the following exist: (i) an appropriate treatment plan that has been approved by the court has not been complied with by the parents or has not been successful; and (ii) the conduct or condition of the parents rendering them unfit is unlikely to change within a reasonable time; ... Section 41-3-609(1)(c), MCA. This section further provides: (2) In determining whether the conduct or condition of the parents is unlikely to change within a reasonable time, the court must enter a finding that continuation of the parent-child legal relationship will likely result in continued abuse or neglect or that the conduct or the condition of the parents renders the parents unfit, unable, or unwilling to give the child adequate parental care. In making the determinations, the court shall consider but is not limited to the following: ... (d) excessive use of intoxicating liquor or of a narcotic or dangerous drug that affects the parent's ability to care and provide for the child; ... (g) any reasonable efforts by protective service agencies that have been unable to rehabilitate the parent. Section 41-3-609(2), MCA. Moreover, when considering any of the factors in § 41-3-609(2), MCA, interminating the parent-child relationship, the court must give primary consideration to the best interests of the child as demonstrated by the child's physical, mental, and emotional conditions and needs. Section 41-3-609(3), MCA; J.L., 922 P.2d at 461. B.C., B.P., M.P., and T.P. were adjudicated youths in need of care by the District Court on April 18, 1994, and court-approved treatment plans for both parents were established. These treatment plans were to be completed by the parents within six months, however, they did not become effective until October 1994, because DFS was unable to contact the parents to inform them of the plans' requirements until September 1994. At the November 28, 1995 hearing, more than one year after the treatment plans became effective, the District Court determined that neither Toni nor Kevin had successfully completed their treatment plans, and that they were unlikely to complete the plans within a reasonable time. Toni and Kevin do not contend on appeal that they successfully completed their court-approved treatment plans, but rather that the District Court erred in stating that they had not successfully completed even one component of their treatment plans. However, partial compliance with a treatment plan is insufficient to preclude termination of parental rights. Matter of J.J.C.H. (1992), 252 Mont. 158, 164, 827 P.2d 812, 816 (citing Matter of H.R.B. (1989), 239 Mont. 387, 389, 780 P.2d 1139, 1140). The treatment plans provided that both Toni and Kevin were to maintain weekly contact with the social worker throughout a six-month time frame, however, neither parent complied with this provision. Toni and Kevin argue that Kevin could not comply because he was incarcerated from January 1, 1995 until October 3, 1995. However, this does not explain his non-compliance from October 1994 through December 1994, nor does it explain Toni's non-compliance. Moreover, as the State points out, Kevin's incarceration should not excuse him from complying because it was his criminal conduct that required his incarceration and he could have maintained weekly contact through letters to the social worker. In addition, neither Toni nor Kevin obtained a parenting assessment and evaluation as required by the treatment plans. The treatment plans also required that Toni and Kevin, because of their known alcohol and drug abuse, obtain evaluations for drug and alcohol dependency and submit to random drug and alcohol urinalysis. Kevin did not obtain an evaluation because of his incarceration and, while Toni eventually complied with these provisions, she did not send a copy of the evaluation to DFS, thus DFS did not know the results of the evaluation or its recommendations. In addition, Toni tested positive for cocaine use three times since the June 20, 1995 hearing. Her last positive urinalysis was on August 28, 1995, only three months prior to the November 28, 1995 hearing. Under the treatment plans, Toni and Kevin were required to report immediately to their social worker any contact they had with law enforcement, regardless of the reason for the contact. They were also required to obtain a written report from law enforcement detailing the type of contact. Kevin failed to report to the social worker regarding his incarceration and he failed to obtain a written report detailing this contact with law enforcement. Additionally, Toni did not report the 14 days she spent in jail as a result of her testing positive for drugs. Because Toni, Kevin and the children lived in a van and at various motels for the three years prior to the children being sent to their grandmother in Montana, the treatment plans required that Toni and Kevin maintain a residence adequate to house all four of the children for a period of six months before the children would be returned to their care. At the time of the June 20, 1995 hearing, Toni testified that she was living in a one-bedroom apartment and had been living there since January 7, 1995. She admitted that the apartment was not suitable for her children, but she testified that she was saving money to get an apartment or house suitable for all four children. At the November 28, 1995 hearing, the DFS social worker testified that Toni and Kevin were living in a one-bedroom apartment and had been living there for only six weeks. The apartment was not large enough to accommodate the four children. Due to the inability of Toni and Kevin to obtain suitable housing for the children after more than one year and because of Toni's recent drug use, it was not unreasonable for the District Court to conclude that the conduct or condition rendering Toni and Kevin unfit was unlikely to change within a reasonable time. Moreover, the DFS social worker testified that it would be in the best interests of the children to terminate the parental rights of Toni and Kevin. When DFS initially became involved in this case, the children had been neglected as to medical and dental treatment and they had not been attending school. In addition, Toni and Kevin were teaching the children to shoplift. The social worker testified that the children needed permanence in their lives. Neither Toni nor Kevin have made any attempt to return to Montana to work on regaining custody of the children, nor have they ever returned to Montana to visit the children. Furthermore, Toni never bothered to contact her mother to check on the welfare of the children for the first nine months after the children were placed in their grandmother's care. Therefore, we conclude that there is substantial evidence in the record supporting the District Court's finding that Toni and Kevin failed to successfully complete the court-approved treatment plan, thus the prerequisite statutory criteria for termination have been met. Accordingly, we hold that the District Court did not err in terminating the parental rights of Toni and Kevin. Affirmed. TURNAGE, C.J., and HUNT, REGNIER and TRIEWEILER, JJ., concur.