Opinion ID: 1811753
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Previous Termination Due to Neglect or Abuse

Text: G.B.B.'s parental rights to her third child, M.B., were terminated in 1995, after an initial finding by the trial court that M.B. was a child in need of care based on neglect and possible abuse. The termination in M.B.'s case was based on the 1992 version of La. Ch.Code art. 1015(7), which at that time required the State to prove, among other things, that G.B.B.'s condition continued to render her unable or incapable of exercising parental responsibilities without exposing M.B. to a substantial risk of serious harm. The record in M.B.'s termination case was introduced at trial in the instant matter. A review of that record finds M.B. came into the custody of the State by a request for an instanter order, wherein the State alleged abuse and/or neglect of M.B. and that G.B.B. was unable to care for the child. Four days after the birth of M.B., G.B.B. with M.B. was found wandering the streets at four o'clock in the morning, complaining of hearing voices in her apartment which said they were going to kill her. She left the apartment without milk or appropriate items for the care of M.B. The State intervened and removed M.B. from G.B.B.'s custody. Thereafter, M.B. was adjudicated a child in need of care and, subsequently, the State petitioned for termination of G.B.B.'s rights to M.B. The State specifically alleged: The basic needs of this child were not met at the time this child was taken into custody and would not be met at the present time, either. There is no reasonable expectation of reformation on the part of [G.B.B.] due to her chronic mental problems which have caused her repeated hospitalizations, in addition to her failure to cooperate with the Agency to allow the Agency to receive her medical records and try to obtain additional assistance. Further, testimony revealed M.B. was a special needs child in that he was diagnosed with a severe case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He attended a behavior modification therapy program and, at that time, he was taking ten milligrams of ritalin three times a day. In addition, testimony revealed he would require constant supervision as he was highly impulsive. Ultimately, the appellate court, in agreement with the trial court, found G.B.B. incapable of exercising her parental responsibilities without exposing M.B. to substantial risk of serious harm. G.B.B.'s parental rights to M.B. were terminated. Based on a review of M.B.'s record, we conclude the lower courts erred in failing to recognize that because M.B. was adjudicated a child in need of care, the State's termination proceeding was essentially based on the premise that M.B. was abused or neglected. As previously noted by this court, the lower courts should be cognizant of the fact that the legislature has expressed its intent that courts shall construe the procedural provisions of Title X of the Children's Code liberally. In all proceedings, the primary concern is to secure the best interest of the child if a ground justifying termination of parental rights is proved. La. Ch.Code art. 1001; See State ex rel. J.A., 752 So.2d at 812. Before a trial court may adjudicate a child in need of care under Title VI of the Children's Code, the State must allege and prove by a preponderance of the evidence one or more of the statutorily expressed allegations in La. Ch.Code art. 606(A). [5] All the grounds listed required showings based on either abuse or neglect, whether criminal or non-criminal. In the instant case, the court of appeal narrowly interpreted the trial court's termination of parental rights to M.B. as based solely on G.B.B.'s mental illness yet recognized the fact she was incapable of caring for M.B. in light of his condition and need of constant supervision. As we recognized in State ex rel. J.A., the legislature defined neglect in broad terms. La. Ch. Code art. 603(14) provides: Neglect means the refusal or unreasonable failure of a parent or caretaker to supply the child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, care, treatment, or counseling for any injury, illness, or condition of the child, as a result of which the child's physical, mental, or emotional health and safety is substantially threatened or impaired. The reason for the neglect or the parent's inability to care for the child, i.e., mental illness, is not the proper inquiry. [6] Rather, the proper inquiry is whether the result of the parent's actions are such that the parent has failed to supply the child with the necessary care. It is clear from the record in M.B.'s case that G.B.B.'s parental rights were terminated by virtue of her inability to care for M.B., i.e., her neglect and/or abuse of M.B. Thus, we find G.B.B.'s termination of her parental rights to her previous child, M.B., meets the first requirement of La. Ch.Code 1015(3)(k).