Opinion ID: 1314494
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: F.H.'s Need for Permanent Placement.

Text: Master Duggan recognized that F.H.'s situation would be uncertain if the Hartleys' adoption petition were dismissed and E.P.D. withdrew her conditional relinquishment. E.P.D.'s relinquishment was conditional on the Hartleys' adoption of F.H. If the Hartleys' adoption petition were dismissed, F.H. would have continued to be in DFYS' temporary custody. DFYS' petition to terminate permanently E.P.D.'s parental rights had not been granted. No other petition to adopt F.H. had been filed. Although DFYS expressed an intent to place F.H. with Mary Penn immediately, further legal proceedings would have been necessary for a permanent adoption by Mary Penn. The superior court properly considered F.H.'s situation if the adoption petition were dismissed. It was not clearly erroneous for the superior court to find that F.H.'s uncertain situation would have continued if the Hartleys were not allowed to adopt F.H.