Opinion ID: 1366408
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: abuse, neglect, physical and mental injury

Text: ZLW admitted at the October 7, 1986, hearing that she had neglected the children and that she had discussed putting them up for adoption. In addition to the documents signed by ZLW on July 13, 1987, purporting to relinquish her parental rights and consenting to their placement for adoption, the evidence clearly and convincingly shows ZLW was abusive to and neglected each of her four children over an extended period of time. With reference to RJP, the evidence was: 1. When RJP was an infant in 1977, ZLW placed her in a foster home for about six months because ZLW, then nineteen years old, was having problems coping with the child. 2. RJP's teachers from kindergarten through fourth grade testified that until she was placed in foster care RJP frequently came to school unclean and inappropriately dressed in adult women's clothing. RJP was very angry, defiant, depressed and moody because of her home environment, and this emotional state was reflected in her inability to play with and make friends at school. She was unruly toward her classmates; she did not smile or respond to affection. 3. In kindergarten RJP was frequently absent from school, at one point having missed twenty-three of forty school days. The school nurse at RJP's school observed bruises and welts on RJP on several occasions. During class discussions RJP would tell her classmates that she, not her mother, had the responsibility to get her brothers and sister up in the morning, fed, and off to school. 4. The first ten years of RJP's life were filled with visions of arguments, drunkenness and physical violence between ZLW and several different men. 5. During the 1987-1988 school year ZLW had not attended school conferences to discuss RJP's progress. 6. On September 22, 1986, when first placed in protective custody, RJP and the three other children were dirty, smelly and frightened. 7. Initially in foster care, RJP was a very troubled child, demonstrating anger, defiance, and fits of rage when she did not get her own way. She rarely smiled; she never cried. At first, RJP did not know to bathe daily, to brush her teeth daily or to have clean sheets. She was hungry and would hide food. 8. During foster care, RJP changed dramatically for the better. Now RJP smiles and laughs a great deal. She makes friends and interacts well with them and takes pride in her personal appearance. Her foster parent analogized the change in RJP to the difference between night and day. ZLW admitted she could not cope with RJP as the child was growing up. On at least one occasion ZLW grabbed RJP and threw her across the room on the floor after trying to spank her. ZLW reverted to RJP's age level and was locked in sibling rivalry with her, the sad result of which was an environment of continual bickering, arguments, physical and mental abuse, and neglect. With reference to JSN, the evidence was: 1. In December, 1981, JSN received emergency hospital care for several bruises over his midsection, buttocks and legs. The physical evidence strongly indicated JSN had been sexually abused. ZLW had left JSN with babysitters and suspected they may have harmed her son. 2. JSN's teachers from kindergarten through second grade testified that until he was placed in foster care JSN frequently came to school inappropriately dressed and hungry. His behavior was characterized with displays of anger, crying, and temper tantrums many times a day. He did not play well with his classmates. ZLW had not attended school conferences during the 1987-1988 school year to discuss JSN's progress. 3. School teachers, the school nurse, and the summer program teacher all testified to seeing JSN wearing badges of abuse such as bruises on his legs and bruises and welts on his head. JSN said the bruises and welts were caused by GW beating him with a belt and hitting him while wearing a ring. ZLW says she, not others, inflicted this physical harm. 4. On occasion, as a disciplinary measure ZLW confined JSN to his bedroom for two weeks. He urinated in his pants and defecated in a diaper box while so confined. 5. Like his brother and sisters, when first placed in protective custody on the night of September 22, 1986, JSN was dirty, smelly, and frightened. As a result of his foster care, he is improving in his social development and academically, and responds positively to the love and affection given him in foster care. With reference to VME and AJW, the evidence was: 1. Like RJP and JSN, when taken into protective custody on September 22, 1986, VME and AJW were dirty, smelly, and frightened. In foster care they were kept clean and their behavior improved. 2. On March, 9, 1987, VME and AJW were returned to ZLW; one month later ZLW returned them to foster care, stating she could not handle the children at that time. 3. Again, on June 4, 1987, VME and AJW were returned to ZLW. From June 9 through June 15, 1987, ZLW left the children with her mother while ZLW left town with her boyfriend. 4. On or about July 7, 1987, ZLW told John S. Noteboom, a social worker with D-PASS, that she was not cut out to be a mother and did not want the responsibility for these young children. During the time period of ZLW's custody of VME and AJW, they attended a day care program. The day care teacher testified that VME and AJW came to day care dirty and smelly; she had to bathe them on about eight occasions. Their clothing was unkempt, smelly, and inappropriate for summer weather. The day care teacher described VME as a very tense child who frequently cried in her sleep at nap time. VME's interaction with day care classmates was characterized by VME's fits of anger, screaming, and yelling. AJW had an oozing ear infection requiring medical attention. Both VME and AJW ate many more food servings than the other children, evidencing their hunger. On several occasions when ZLW picked up VME and AJW at day care, ZLW smelled of alcohol. 5. On July 13, 1987, ZLW returned VME and AJW to D-PASS for foster care placement. In reply to Mr. Noteboom's discussing her reentry into psychotherapy with new intensity, she said she did not want to go through it. Instead, she discussed relinquishing her parental rights and consenting to placing all four of her children for adoption. She signed documents for this purpose. Although several weeks later she changed her mind about relinquishing parental rights, her visitations with her children from summer of 1987 until the hearing date in January, 1988, were hit and miss. Of 123 scheduled visitations, she missed seventy-three. She was late or returned the children early on another twenty-nine visits. 6. She was not with AJW when he underwent a surgical procedure in December, 1987, and did not visit with AJW's foster parent about the results of that procedure. ZLW did not attend AJW's birthday party held a few days before the trial in this matter. 7. VME's and AJW's foster parent was concerned about VME's vivid description of french-kissing and VME's and AJW's graphic play-demonstration of performing sexual intercourse. Similarly, their foster parent was concerned about VME's and AJW's frequent discussions and demonstrations of how GW used to beat up ZLW. In light of our strict scrutiny review of the evidence presented by D-PASS and considered by the district court, we are satisfied that the evidence clearly and convincingly established that ZLW neglected and abused each of her four children. Having found overwhelming evidence of neglect and abuse, we next consider whether efforts by an authorized agency or mental health professionals have been successful in rehabilitating ZLW.