Opinion ID: 2524632
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: State Involvement with N.A. and Her Children

Text: The Division of Family and Youth Services has been involved with N.A. since the birth of her first child, a daughter, in 1987. After several reports of parental neglect, this child was placed with her biological father. In 1989 N.A. and Smith had their first child, a boy. In 1990 N.A. gave birth to their second son. In 1991 N.A. left her home intoxicated, leaving her two infant sons alone with Smith, a violation of Smith's parole conditions. The state took temporary custody of the boys. While in state custody, doctors examined the boys and diagnosed them as being at high risk for developmental problems. The court found the boys to be children in need of aid and committed the boys to state custody. In August 1992 N.A. was convicted of felony assault. She thereafter violated her probation and was court-ordered into a residential alcohol treatment program. From late 1992 through mid-1993, she successfully completed the Dena A Coy residential alcohol program for pregnant women in the Northstar Center in Anchorage. In May 1993 she gave birth to a girl. N.A. completed an alcohol treatment aftercare program in Fairbanks with the Regional Center for Alcohol and Other Addictions. In 1994 the superior court terminated N.A.'s parental rights to the boys because her alcohol dependency and mental impairment caused her sons to be severely developmentally delayed and to require special care that she was incapable of giving. While the appeal of the termination decision was pending, N.A. gave birth to a second baby girl in June 1995. In early 1996 this court reversed the termination of N.A.'s parental rights to the boys. We interpreted former AS 47.10.010(a)(2)(A) to require the state to show that a child had no parent able and willing to provide care. [1] Because N.A., though unable to provide care, was willing to do so, we reversed the termination of her parental rights. [2] We also held that the evidence did not support the finding that the boys would face an imminent risk of substantial physical harm. [3] In June the boys were placed back in N.A.'s care. In April 1997 a division social worker found N.A. intoxicated while attempting to care for a child. The police arrested N.A. for probation violation, and the division petitioned for temporary custody of all four children. N.A. agreed to enter residential alcohol treatment; pending an opening in such a program, N.A. was released from jail. The girls were returned to N.A. shortly thereafter, but the state retained temporary custody of the boys. In October of the same year, N.A. agreed to state custody for her boys for two years or until she would be permitted to take physical custody of them again in a residential alcohol treatment program. In November, when N.A. entered the Women's and Children's Residential Program (WCRP), N.A.'s daughters were placed in state custody while N.A. began the alcohol treatment program. Within two months, N.A.'s placement at WCRP ended. Program counselors transported her to the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital mental health ward after she confronted another patient, threatened to hit a patient with a coffee pot, and used profane language toward another patient and staff in front of children. Three days later, WCRP discharged N.A. and recommended a dual treatment centera center that could provide treatment for both alcoholism and mental health problemsin Anchorage. N.A. preferred to stay in Fairbanks. Her case worker agreed and had N.A. placed at the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) Paul Williams House. N.A.'s children remained in state custody. In late January 1998 N.A. entered the Fairbanks Rescue Mission Fresh Start Program, which had experience working with dual-diagnosis patients. She left the program without completion in mid-April 1998. The Fairbanks Rescue Mission concluded that N.A. did not benefit from group living situations and recommended individual assisted living and an adult conservator. N.A. was placed back at the TCC Paul Williams House. N.A.'s children remained in state custody. On May 8 N.A. began a weekend drinking binge. On May 10 N.A. arrived at the Paul Williams House intoxicated. After assaulting another client, N.A. was told to leave, and to return when sober. N.A.'s parole officer and police located her the following day, found her intoxicated, and arrested her for violating probation. N.A. was placed in the Fairbanks Correctional Center. N.A. was released from jail on August 3. On October 5, 1998, Judge Ralph R. Beistline held an Annual Review hearing. The division filed an Annual Review of Children in Need of Aid Report, which included its permanency plan to terminate N.A.'s parental rights and free the children for adoption. On November 18 the superior court issued its decision to continue state custody. In the following six months, the division started to implement its permanency plan. The division filed a petition to terminate N.A.'s parental rights to her sons. The division prepared a case plan for N.A. This plan generally continued the previous plan activities but added a new task of encouraging N.A. to consider relinquishing parental rights to all four of her children by Smith. N.A. later relinquished her parental rights to the boys. The division also filed a termination petition for N.A.'s daughters. The termination trial was scheduled to start on September 13, 1999. In August, N.A.'s counsel moved to continue the trial because he was recovering from major surgery. The superior court granted the motion and rescheduled trial to November 22. During the months before trial, N.A. admitted to her social worker that she had been beaten and raped during a drinking incident. As recently as three weeks before the termination trial, N.A. admitted to another drinking episode. A week before trial was scheduled to begin, N.A. filed a motion asking for a permanency hearing and a continuance of the termination trial. The superior court denied the motion. Trial began on November 17. On January 21, 2000, the trial court issued its ruling to terminate N.A.'s parental rights to her daughters.