Opinion ID: 2322862
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Failure to Plan Established

Text: The Mother's first contention on appeal is that the decision of the Family Court to terminate her parental rights, based on her failure to plan, was not supported by clear and convincing evidence and was not the result of a logical deductive reasoning process. In support of that contention, the Mother argues that her plan was participation in a drug treatment program while incarcerated and for the Minor Child to live with a relative. The Mother submits that this was an adequate permanent plan for the Minor Child. The record supports the determination by the Family Court to the contrary, as a matter of both fact and law. The Family Court has authority to grant a DFS petition for the termination of parental rights, if DFS proves by clear and convincing evidence: first, that facts justifying termination under Delaware law exist, and second, that such a determination is in the best interest of the child. [5] In addition, the Family Court must be satisfied that DFS has made all reasonable efforts to preserve the family unit. [6] Moreover, when the termination of parental rights is based primarily on the ground of failure to plan, `the [Family Court] is required to make appropriate findings of fact and conclusions of as to the State's bona fide efforts to meet its own obligations.' [7] In this case, the Family Court granted termination of the Mother's parental rights based on a failure to plan, pursuant to Title 13, Section 1103(a)(5), which authorizes such termination where: (5) The parent or parents of the child, or any person or persons holding parental rights over the child, are not able, or have failed to plan adequately for the child's physical needs or mental and emotional health and development, and 1 or more of the following conditions are met.... [8] The Mother challenges only the Family Court's finding of failure to plan. She does not challenge the Family Court's conclusion that at least one of the conditions listed under Section 1103(a)(5)(a)  namely, that the Minor Child had been in the care of DFS for a period in excess of six months  had been met. Accordingly, as to the Mother's first contention on appeal, the question for this Court to decide is whether DFS met its burden of proof on the issue of failure to plan. The record reflects clear and convincing evidence of the Mother's failure to plan for the care of her Minor Child. Neither the Mother nor the Father were capable of caring for their Minor Child from the period beginning with the dependency and neglect hearings, and continuing through the termination of their parental rights. The Father stated under oath on several occasions that he was unable to care for the Minor Child. His only plan for his Minor Child was that she be placed with another relative. No suitable relative could be located, however, and the Father offered no other plan for his child, even though the Minor Child had been in foster care for over two years. Throughout most of the proceedings, the Mother was incarcerated. Before being incarcerated, she admitted to using and selling cocaine. She also acknowledged that she was unable to care for her Minor Child. The earliest that the Mother was originally expected to be released was February 21, 2002. Even if the Mother had been released on that date, she would have needed to establish a minimum of six months of sobriety and outpatient treatment before she could complete the drug and alcohol treatment program ordered as part of her criminal sentence. The termination hearings were held on October 25, 2001 and January 24, 2002. Nevertheless, the Mother argues that she did plan for the care of her Minor Child in that she was participating in a drug treatment program while incarcerated and had completed a parenting class. As the Family Court noted, at the time of the permanency hearing, the Mother admit[ted] that she [would] not be in a position to care for [the Minor Child] for several months, or longer. This time frame was not compatible with the statutory mandate of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA). [9] Under ASFA, each state must formulate a system for conducting a permanency hearing for each child, once the child has been in state foster care for twelve months. [10] The purpose of the permanency hearing is to approve a permanency plan for the child that includes whether, and if applicable when, the child will be returned to the parent, placed for adoption and the State will file a petition for termination of parental rights, ... or placed in another planned permanent living arrangement.... [11] Thus, the statutory frameworks enacted by both the General Assembly and Congress do not afford parents an unlimited period of time to address and resolve the issues that caused their children to be found dependent or neglected. This Court has also acknowledged the right of children to have timely permanency decisions made on their behalf and to be heard in proceedings where their vital interests are at stake. [12] In this case, the Mother and the Father had several opportunities to develop a suitable plan for their daughter's care within a time frame of approximately two years. They never did. Because neither parent was able to care for their daughter, each believed the Minor Child would be placed with a relative. The relatives suggested for placement of the Minor Child, however, were either found not suitable, failed to petition the Family Court, or failed to appear on the day scheduled for their hearings. The Mother and the Father did not develop any alternative plan. Because neither the Mother nor the Father offered the Family Court a timely plan for the permanent placement of their Minor Child, the Family Court found that DFS had presented clear and convincing evidence of a failure to plan by both parents. The Mother contends, nevertheless, that the Family Court should have considered and granted the petition for guardianship of the Maternal Aunt as an appropriate plan for the Minor Child. This argument fails for two reasons. First, the record shows that the Family Court considered and rejected the Maternal Aunt's guardianship petition. Trial on the Maternal Aunt's guardianship petition was held on the same days as the trial on the termination petition. After hearing the evidence, the Family Court determined that it would be contrary to the Minor Child's best interest to be placed into the home of the Maternal Aunt. Consequently, the Mother's claim that DFS and the Family Court failed to properly consider the merits of the guardianship petition of the Maternal Aunt is not supported by the record. Second, this Court has no jurisdiction to consider the Mother's challenge to the Family Court's decision that denied the guardianship petition of the Maternal Aunt. Because the Maternal Aunt is not a party to this present appeal, and because she did not file an appeal in her own right, this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to consider that claim. The Mother may not now expand the issues on appeal in this termination proceeding to include the guardianship petition of the Maternal Aunt. [13] The Family Court held that placing the minor child in a guardianship with the Maternal Aunt would not be in the Minor Child's best interest. In the absence of a timely appeal by the Maternal Aunt, the Family Court's judgment on that issue is considered final. [14] The record also reflects that the Family Court carefully considered the circumstances of both the Mother and the Father. The Father never expressed any serious desire to care for the Minor Child. The Mother was incarcerated and was unable to care for the Minor Child herself. Her plan consisted of participation in, and anticipated completion of, a drug treatment program while incarcerated. The Mother still would not have been in a position to care for her daughter immediately upon release and, in fact, many months following the Mother's release would have passed before she could even be considered as placement for her child. Additionally, relatives that the Mother believed could be placements for the Minor Child either had their guardianship petitions considered and denied by the Family Court as not in the child's best interests, or did not appear for their scheduled hearings, or did not actually file a petition. Accordingly, we hold that the Family Court's termination of the Mother's parental rights based upon a failure to plan for her Minor Child is supported in the record by clear convincing evidence and is the product of a logical deductive reasoning process.