Opinion ID: 2607111
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: good cause to avoid icwa placement preferences

Text: Once the trial court terminated the father's parental rights, the court considered the appropriate placement for the child under ICWA: In any adoptive placement of an Indian child under State law, a preference shall be given, in the absence of good cause to the contrary, to a placement with (1) a member of the child's extended family; (2) other members of the Indian child's tribe; or (3) other Indian families. 25 U.S.C. § 1915(a). The trial court recognized that the adoptive parents do not fall within any category given preference under ICWA, but found that good cause existed to deviate from the preferences. Regarding our standard of review, we first note that the House Report in the legislative history states the following regarding 25 U.S.C. § 1915(a): Subsection (a) provides that, in the absence of good cause to the contrary, a preference shall be given to adoptive placement of an Indian child with the extended family; a member of the child's tribe; or another Indian family. This subsection and subsection (b) establish a Federal policy that, where possible, an Indian child should remain in the Indian community, but is not to be read as precluding the placement of an Indian child with a non-Indian family. H.R.Rep. No. 1386, 95th Cong. 2nd Sess. 22 (1978), reprinted in 1978 U.S.C.C.A.N. 7530, 7546 (emphasis added). The introductory language to the BIA guidelines regarding ICWA state that use of the term `good cause' was designed to provide state courts with flexibility in determining the disposition of a placement proceeding.... 44 Fed. Reg. 67584 (1979), citing S.Rep. No. 597, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 17 (1977). In view of the trial court's superior position to ascertain the facts, and the flexibility Congress intended trial courts to have regarding the good cause determination, we believe this determination should be commended to the sound discretion of the trial court, and will not be upset on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. Osteraas v. Osteraas, 124 Idaho 350, 352, 859 P.2d 948, 950 (1993) (determination of custody of minor children is commended to the sound discretion of the trial court); see, e.g., Matter of Adoption of F.H., 851 P.2d 1361 (Alaska 1993) (good cause determination under 25 U.S.C. § 1915(a) is within superior court's discretion). Accordingly, we consider whether the trial court (1) correctly perceived the issue as one of discretion; (2) acted within the outer boundaries of its discretion and consistently with the legal standards applicable to the available choices; and (3) reached its decision by an exercise of reason. Osteraas, 124 Idaho at 352, 859 P.2d at 950. We find no abuse of discretion here. The trial court relied on the BIA guidelines for guidance regarding the good cause inquiry: For purposes of ... adoptive placement, a determination of good cause not to follow the order of preference set out above shall be based on one or more of the following considerations: (i) The request of the biological parents or the child when the child is of sufficient age. (ii) The extraordinary physical or emotional needs of the child as established by testimony of a qualified expert witness. (iii) The unavailability of suitable families for placement after a diligent search has been completed for families meeting the preference criteria. 44 Fed.Reg. 67594 F.3.(a) (1979). In determining whether good cause existed, the trial court rejected the arguments by the adoptive parents' counsel that the child is old enough to request a preference; the child has extraordinary physical needs mitigating against the preferences; and that the proposed Indian placement (with the maternal aunt and uncle) is unsuitable. The trial court demonstrated knowledge of applicable legal standards in rejecting the adoptive parents' argument that negative social and economic conditions on the reservation constitute good cause. The trial court correctly held that ICWA requires the court to apply the prevailing social and cultural standards of the Indian community. 25 U.S.C. § 1915(d). However, the trial court held that the following considerations individually and in totality did constitute good cause to deviate from the ICWA placement preferences: (1) the mother's request to place the child with the adoptive parents; (2) the certainty of psychological and emotional trauma if the child is removed from the adoptive parents; (3) likelihood of emotional damage to the child if the child has contact with the father while living with the extended family on the reservation; and (4) the need for permanency that placement with the adoptive parents would satisfy. Unless this Court can conclude as a matter of law that none of the asserted grounds individually or in totality constitute good cause, the trial court's conclusion should be confirmed. The trial court did not err as a matter of law by giving weight to the mother's preference to place the child with the adoptive parents. ICWA expressly provides that where appropriate, the preference of a parent shall be considered. 25 U.S.C. § 1915(c); 44 Fed.Reg. 67594 F.3.(a)(i) (1979). See, e.g., In the Adoption of F.H., 851 P.2d 1361 (Alaska 1993) (mother's preference for placement with adoptive parents was appropriate factor in finding good cause). Likewise, we cannot say the trial court erred in considering the certainty of psychological and emotional trauma if the child is removed from the adoptive parents. The trial court stated there was little disagreement among the expert witnesses that a change in custody would have adverse consequences on the child's psychological and emotional well being. Rather, the conflict among the experts involved the degree of harm and the outlook for mitigating the trauma through planning, cooperation and counseling. Nevertheless, there was substantial agreement among the experts that emotional trauma would result from a change of custody. We recognize that the law cannot be applied to automatically reward those who maintain custody during protracted litigation. See, e.g., Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield, 490 U.S. 30, 54, 109 S.Ct. 1597, 1611, 104 L.Ed.2d 29 (1989) ( citing In re Adoption of Halloway, 732 P.2d 962, 972 (Utah 1986)). But the certainty of emotional damage need not be ignored by the trial court in the balancing of interests. It is not ours to say whether the trauma that might result from removing these children from their adoptive family should outweigh the interest of the Tribeand perhaps the children themselvesin having them raised as part of the [Indian] community. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, 490 U.S. at 54, 109 S.Ct. at 1611 (deferring to tribal courts to fashion appropriate remedy). We find no error by the trial court in considering the certainty of psychological and emotional trauma if the child is removed from the adoptive parents. The next factor the trial court relied upon was the likelihood of emotional damage if the child has contact with the father while living with the extended family on the reservation. As stated earlier, the trial court found beyond a reasonable doubt that custody by the father is likely to cause serious emotional damage to the child. The trial court relied on this finding as a consideration in its good cause analysis. The evidence at trial indicated the father would have contact with the child if placed with the proposed Indian family (the child's paternal aunt and uncle), and that the father would play a role in instructing or teaching the child. The trial court held that the likelihood of serious emotional damage to the child if [the father] has continuing involvement in the child's life constitutes a factor creating an extraordinary emotional need with respect to the child and is, in and of itself, a sufficient consideration to constitute `good cause' to deviate. We find no error in the trial court's analysis. If the child is placed on the reservation, the likely contact with the father, and likely emotional damage therefrom, is a valid consideration. As a fourth justification, the trial court found that the child's paternal aunt, with whom the tribe sought to place the child, was equivocal as to her intent to adopt the child or just provide a foster placement, while the adoptive parents unequivocally desired to adopt the child and provide a permanent home. The trial court held that the child's need for permanency created an extraordinary emotional need sufficient to constitute good cause. The trial court seemed to presume the child's need for permanence could be met only through adoption. At least one other court has held such an assumption improper. See Matter of Custody of S.E.G., A.L.W. and V.M.G., 521 N.W.2d 357 (Minn.1994). In S.E.G., non-Indian foster parents sought to adopt three Indian children for whom they had previously provided foster care. The children were currently in an Indian foster placement. The trial court found that the children had extraordinary emotional needs which were being met in the current Indian foster placement, except for the need for permanence. Id. at 364. In finding good cause to deviate from ICWA's placement preferences, the trial court in S.E.G. implicitly assumed that only adoption could meet the children's need for permanence. On appeal, the Minnesota Supreme Court found nothing in ICWA, its legislative history, or the BIA guidelines and their commentary, which precludes consideration of the need for permanence or stability in determining whether good cause exists. Id. at 363. However, the court concluded that other permanent placement options besides adoption, such as permanent foster care, may satisfy the need for permanence. In S.E.G., there was testimony that the children's need for permanence could be met through attachment to the tribe as an ongoing part of life, and the court relied on legislative findings that [a]n Indian child may have scores of, perhaps more than a hundred relatives who are counted as close, responsible members of the family. Id., ( quoting H.R.Rep. No. 1386, 95th Cong.2d Sess. (1978), reprinted in 1978 U.S.C.C.A.N. 7530, (7532). The court held that good cause may include a child's need for stability, but that this is not equivalent to a need to be adopted, and accordingly reversed the trial court's finding of good cause. Matter of Custody of S.E.G., 521 N.W.2d at 358, 364. We find the reasoning of S.E.G. persuasive. However, even if the trial court erred as to its finding relating to permanency, that error is not dispositive here, because of additional considerations, not present in S.E.G., which were relied upon by the trial court below. We hold that the trial court committed no abuse of discretion by considering (1) the mother's request to place the child with the adoptive parents; (2) the certainty of psychological and emotional trauma if the child is removed from the adoptive parents; and (3) the likelihood of emotional damage if the child has contact with the father while living with the extended family on the reservation. Taking these considerations together, the trial court could reasonably conclude good cause existed to deviate from ICWA's placement preferences. We find the trial court's conclusion was reached by an exercise of reason, is within the outer boundaries of its discretion, and is consistent with the applicable legal standards. The tribe raised a final argument on an evidentiary issue. The trial court excluded from evidence a photocopy of a letter offered by the tribe, part of which had been lost or destroyed. We have considered the tribe's arguments on this issue, and are not persuaded. Assuming arguendo that the trial court erred in excluding the exhibit, such an error would not change the result, and would be considered harmless error by this Court.