Opinion ID: 896899
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Continuation of Deprivation

Text: [¶ 11] Maria's primary contention on appeal is that there is not clear and convincing evidence the deprivation of these children is likely to continue. Evidence of a parent's background, including previous incidents of abuse and deprivation, may be considered in determining whether deprivation is likely to continue. In Interest of L.F., 1998 ND 129, ¶ 16, 580 N.W.2d 573. Evidence of past or present deprivation, however, is not alone sufficient to terminate parental rights, and there must be prognostic evidence that deprivation will continue or be unremedied. Id. This Court has defined prognostic evidence as evidence that forms the basis of reasonable predication as to future behavior. In Interest of A.S., 1998 ND 181, ¶ 19, 584 N.W.2d 853. [¶ 12] Pamela Sand, a case manager with the Cass County Social Services Agency, testified that Maria continued to use drugs even though many support services were being offered to her and the family, including intensive therapy treatment, when the September 1999 drug arrest occurred. Ms. Sand testified that although it is not impossible the causes of the children's deprivation will be remedied upon Maria's release from prison a 20 year drug addiction is a very long, timely process to recover from and . . . the length of time that that would take would be longer than the children can wait for some permanency, for a permanent home. [¶ 13] Maria introduced evidence that, while incarcerated since December 29, 1999, she has successfully completed several courses on proper parenting and dealing with chemical addiction. She testified she intends to stay drug free and to provide an appropriate home environment for her children. Maria acknowledged during her trial testimony, however, that she has had treatment for her addiction six times in the past without success. The juvenile court found that Maria has a long self-reported history of usage of illegal drugs.... Services have been offered and attempted with [Maria] and her children including Family Focused Services, in Home Services, and chemical dependency treatment; however, these services have not resulted in adequate positive change. [¶ 14] Regarding the prospect for successfully reuniting the children with Maria, Dr. Schumacher testified: Well, as I sit here today if the only option were to reunite with mom, I would assert that the only way that will be successful at all is if they have a fairly wide range of services including in-home family support and fairly intensive parenting support in terms of management. Both children can act up quite violently at times and be aggressive to each other. They also have considerable spirit, which is difficult parenting at best. I think the kids would probably need a good deal of therapy with their mother to try and instill things like a trust because fundamentally, although they love their mom, I'm not sure they trust her. And that's a pretty scary issue. The key would be mom's behavior here regardless of the children's symptoms, whether they're acute or chronic, without a stable, confident mom in a healthy role there, I think that we would predict failure again. Dr. Schumacher stopped short of recommending termination of Maria's parental rights, because he had not had an adequate opportunity to evaluate her for ruling out the possibility she could become capable of parenting these children. [¶ 15] This Court has recognized that a juvenile court need not operate in a vacuum in termination proceedings. See In re A.L. and J.L., 2001 ND 59, ¶ 16, 623 N.W.2d 418. It can give substantial credence to evidence indicating a pattern of conduct by a parent that forms a basis for reasonable prediction of the parent's future behavior. Id. Longterm and intensive treatment for a parent is not mandated if it cannot be successfully undertaken soon enough to enable the children to be returned to the parental home without causing severe dislocation from emotional attachments formed during long-term foster care. In re D.N., 2001 ND 71, ¶ 12, 624 N.W.2d 686. [¶ 16] Although Maria's successful completion of parenting and addiction courses during her incarceration is encouraging, it provides little assurance that she can sufficiently turn her life around to effectively parent these children. Maria has had a long history of drug addiction, parenting failures, and unsuccessful treatment regimens. Considering Maria has been unable or has simply refused to change so many times in the past, her apparent attitude change while currently incarcerated is tenuous evidence upon which to confidently predict Maria, when released from prison, will abandon her long-term drug addiction, refrain from her past pattern of living with abusive male roommates, and place her children's needs before her own. However commendable it may be that a parent desires to change her lifestyle and to learn how to become a fit parent, the courts cannot allow the children to suffer the predictable consequences when it turns out the parent is unable to sufficiently turn around a dysfunctional lifestyle to become an effective parent. See In Interest of J.L.D., 539 N.W.2d 73, 78 (N.D.1995). [¶ 17] It was only a matter of months prior to these termination proceedings that Maria's children were taken from her when she was placed in custody for drug violations. Maria received drug addiction treatment for several months. Upon her release, Maria did not immediately seek to be reunited with her children. Instead, she resumed living with a boyfriend who had physically abused both herself and her daughter, Susan, and had sexually assaulted Susan. Maria should have realized that by choosing to continue living with this man she was placing her needs ahead of her children's needs and was, thereby, shirking her parental responsibilities. Nevertheless, Maria chose this companion over her children. When the children were returned to Maria in August 1999, the family was provided comprehensive support, which according to Pamela Sand was probably all the resources we had available in the community. In spite of that help, Maria continued to abuse drugs. Maria's actions again forced the children out of their home and into foster care. Voluntary choices, like those made by Maria, have consequences, and they also have prognostic value. Based upon our review of this record, we conclude there is clear and convincing evidence the deprivation of Susan and Dan is likely to continue and not be remedied.