Opinion ID: 2741596
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Superior Court’s Findings

Text: In December 2012 OCS filed a petition to terminate Jamie’s parental rights to all four children and Anna’s rights to the three younger children only. Before trial, Anna relinquished her parental rights to the three younger children with the understanding that if the court did not terminate Jamie’s parental rights, she could withdraw her relinquishment. As a result, neither party presented evidence regarding Anna’s conduct. In support of its petition, OCS presented evidence regarding Jamie’s personality disorders, substance abuse, criminal history, and failure to conform to social norms. OCS also presented testimony that Ian’s behavior and trauma were attributed to Jamie, as well as testimony about Ian’s mental health issues and need for security, stability, and permanence. OCS representatives testified that they were looking into a family placement for Ian with Jamie’s aunt in Oklahoma, if and when Ian is discharged -5- 6957 from the foster home. Alternatively, OCS would try to find an adoptive placement for Ian. OCS did not seek to terminate Anna’s parental rights to Ian, with the hope that she “might be able to parent [Ian] with enough wrap around supports, but if not she is instrumental in [Ian’s] therapy and recovery.” The superior court found that Ian was a child in need of aid pursuant to AS 47.10.011(8) in part because of Jamie’s conduct, and that Jamie had not timely remedied his conduct; he failed to comply with the family preservation program, his participation in services with that agency was “virtually nonexistent,” and he had not remedied the conditions identified in 2006 (exposure to domestic violence) which traumatized Ian. In September 2013 the superior court issued an order terminating Jamie’s parental rights to Ian.4 The court remarked that Jamie had missed the opportunity to help Ian after Ian was diagnosed with complex emotional trauma and possible PTSD; instead [Jamie] destroyed his relationship with [Ian] to such an extent that [Ian] wants nothing to do with his father and refuses to talk about him. It does not appear [Jamie] can remedy this situation in a reasonable time. . . . Moreover, [Jamie] has done very little on his current case plan. No reason exists to believe [Jamie] will remedy these conditions within a reasonable time, and [Ian] needs permanence. The court found that OCS engaged in reasonable efforts to provide family support services, and that termination of Jamie’s parental rights was in Ian’s best interests. Jamie 4 The court declined to terminate Jamie’s parental rights to the other three children because OCS did not present sufficient evidence linking the mental injuries suffered by the other children to Jamie’s conduct. Because the court did not terminate Jamie’s parental rights to the other children, the court permitted Anna to withdraw her relinquishment of parental rights to them. -6- 6957 appeals, but he does not dispute that the evidence presented at trial supports the court’s findings.