Opinion ID: 1280063
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Subsequent Review Proceedings.

Text: B.T. and J.T., without court approval, took C.A. to Joplin, Missouri, in December 1987. The court record does not disclose the reason for that change of residence. Around February 17, 1988, B.T. decided that she no longer wanted to care for [C.A.] and voluntarily gave C.A. to the Missouri Department of Social Services in Joplin, which, in turn, returned C.A. to DSS in Nebraska. The court held a review hearing on February 23, 1988. B.T. did not attend the hearing, but remained in Joplin. The court ordered that C.A. remain in DSS' temporary custody for appropriate foster care placement. On March 16, the court ordered that C.A. should receive therapy arranged by DSS. In April, B.T. filed, but later withdrew, a motion to transfer the proceedings to Missouri. Although notified, B.T. failed to attend additional review hearings held on June 21 and September 23, but was represented by her lawyer at those hearings, in which the court continued DSS' temporary custody of C.A. During the September hearing, the court was informed that C.A. was experiencing a lot of depression from being abandoned by her mother. Without having had any contact with C.A. for nearly a year, B.T. arrived in Omaha on February 10, 1989, with the expressed intention of regaining custody of her daughter. Kara Murphy, a juvenile court probation officer, told B.T. that she should meet with caseworkers for C.A. At a meeting on March 1, which included B.T.; Betty Burton, who was a Child Protective Services worker; C.A.'s therapist; and Murphy, B.T. was told that she would have to participate in counseling as a condition for visiting C.A. At a review hearing held on April 17, Murphy testified: I arranged counseling with Sue Willig from Lutheran Family Services for [B.T.]. I informed [B.T.] of the arrangement and I called the next day to see if she had made contact with this therapist at which time I was informed she had returned to Missouri. She later returned and notified her attorney that she decided prior to any counseling or any attempt to work on this issue that the problems of [C.A.] were too severe and she had changed her mind. She has decided she no longer wanted to be herpart of her life. It was decided at the meeting that even if [B.T.] decided not to try for reunification with [C.A.], she make a commitment to meet in therapy with [C.A.] to close out some old issues with her because she has severe feelings of abandonment and [B.T.] agreed to do that. She failed to do this. B.T. did not attend the April 17 hearing, but was represented by counsel who, in reference to Murphy's testimony, conceded that [e]verything that has been said appears to be correct. B.T.'s counsel did state, however, that B.T. was attempting to exchange letters with C.A. Also, at the April 17 hearing, the court, without objection, received Burton's DSS case report regarding the meeting between B.T. and the caseworkers for C.A.: A meeting was arranged for March 1, 1989, with [C.A.'s] primary therapist, Lisa Richardson, so that [C.A.'s] emotional state resulting from the relationship between her and [B.T.], could be explained. The therapist did explain [C.A.'s] complex needs and recommended that [B.T.] become involved in a plan. The plan included [B.T.'s] need to make a firm commitment to work hard and accept [C.A.] as she is because to give up again would be devastating and destroy [C.A.]. We explained that [C.A.] needed structure, consistency and nurturing and she needed to equip herself with these essential parenting qualities. She claims she really wanted reunification with this child. We explained that since she felt that she could not handle [C.A.] in the past, nothing had presently changed with [C.A.] that would make it any easier. She would need to make a commitment and stick by the commitment so that she could help [C.A.]. It is felt that by [B.T.'s] response, that she did not really want to accept any responsibility. Shortly after that meeting, she left town without any explanation. If she had made a commitment to work, an actual visit would have been arranged between her and [C.A.]. The child's father, R.A., did not attend the hearing. R.A. had never visited C.A. after the hearing in November 1988 and, since November 1988, had not participated in counseling ordered by the court. At the conclusion of the April 17 hearing, the court ordered that C.A. continue receiving therapy and remain in DSS' temporary custody.