Opinion ID: 1378820
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: In Pyborn v. Quathamer, 96 Nev. 145, 147, 605 P.2d 1147, 1148 (1980), we upheld a district court finding of abandonment where the father made no attempts to communicate with his son for a period of ten months, coupled with token efforts, to pay support for the child. Here, Kidwell's time frame for non-support and communication was over two years. Additional evidence of abandonment includes lack of support, failure to communicate, and failure to send gifts. Sernaker v. Ehrlich, 86 Nev. 277, 468 P.2d 5 (1970). This court noted that Sernaker was $11,000 in arrears for wife and child support but stated that [n]onsupport is not synonymous with the abandonment but it is a factor in determining whether a parent has abandoned his child. Id. at 280, 468 P.2d at 7 (1970). Kidwell did not amass arrearages totalling $11,000; however, Kidwell failed to pay any child support, establish paternity, or comply with the DCFS case plan. In Carson v. Lowe, 76 Nev. 446, 357 P.2d 591 (1960), this court upheld the district court's termination of the father's parental rights. Over a three-year period, the father failed to support his child and made meager efforts to communicate with the child. Id. at 449, 357 P.2d at 593. In Drury v. Lang, 105 Nev. 430, 776 P.2d 843 (1989), a post- Champagne case, we interpreted NRS 128.105 [6] as requiring a substantial abandonment and something more than a parent's failure to communicate with her children for a period of six months. Id. at 433, 776 P.2d at 844. Kidwell's conduct was egregious. Contrary to DCFS' instructions, Kidwell relentlessly associated with Daniels while in the throes of her drug addiction, thereby placing his children's welfare in serious jeopardy. Even more astonishing was his intent to marry Daniels after only one month of marriage to another woman. Moreover, Kidwell made no efforts to attend free parenting classes or make any noteworthy attempts at reunification. There is ample evidence in the record establishing Daniels' failure of parental adjustment and intentions to abandon her children. Daniels admitted to improper supervision at a hearing held before the juvenile court. Daniels made no effort to communicate with CPS or DCFS. During her seventeen months in prison she sent the children one letter. Upon release, Daniels never provided DCFS with a phone number or permanent address. As with Kidwell, Daniels failed to pay court-ordered child support and made no progress on her case plan. We conclude that the jurisdictional grounds of abandonment and failure of parental adjustment were established by clear and convincing evidence for Kidwell and Daniels.