Opinion ID: 1119051
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: imminent and substantial risk of substantial physical harm

Text: We will consider whether the superior court clearly erred by adjudicating S.A. and D.A. CINA under AS 47.10.010(a)(2)(C) (subsection (C)) before discussing AS 47.10.010(a)(2)(A) (subsection (A)). A child can be declared CINA under subsection (C) upon a showing of the child having suffered substantial physical harm or if there is an imminent and substantial risk that the child will suffer such harm as a result of the actions done by or conditions created by the child's parent, guardian, or custodian or the failure of the parent, guardian, or custodian adequately to supervise the child[.] (Emphasis added.) A careful and thorough review of the entire record leaves us with a definite and firm conviction that the record cannot support a finding that S.A. and D.A. have suffered substantial physical harm as a result of parental conduct which is likely to continue or that there is an imminent and substantial risk that they will suffer such harm due to conduct by N.A. which is likely to continue. The evidence presented by the State that N.A. is unable to provide her sons with sufficient structure and consistency cannot support a CINA adjudication under subsection (C). The only consequence that the State's witnesses predicted would flow from a failure to give S.A. and D.A. the necessary structure and consistency was that the boys would not meet their potential or make the kinds of gains in overcoming their developmental delays which they would make otherwise. If S.A. and D.A. would indeed suffer this type of harm under N.A.'s care, the harm would be gradual and not imminent, and it would not be substantial physical harm. The State's witnesses did not identify any concrete physical harms that the boys would suffer as a result of not being supplied with enough structure and consistency. Likewise, the testimony that N.A. sometimes disciplines S.A. and D.A. by yelling at them cannot justify a CINA adjudication under subsection (C). According to the State's witnesses, this manner of disciplining the boys could cause them to suffer a loss of self-esteem. The possibility of a gradual loss of self-esteem does not amount to an imminent risk of substantial physical harm. [1] Finally, some of the State's witnesses had concerns about the physical safety of S.A. and D.A. in N.A.'s care, as the boys are very active and may enter dangerous places in their environment if not watched. But the State introduced no evidence that N.A. was so unaware of potential dangers that it was likely that S.A. or D.A. would be seriously injured as a result of encountering an environmental hazard in her care. The State's witnesses did not testify that the boys were ever in any immediate danger under N.A.'s care; in fact, there was testimony that N.A. removed her sons from potentially dangerous situations. The State only presented testimony that N.A.'s awareness of possible dangers was not as great as that of the social workers observing her, and that N.A. was not able to keep her attention focused on S.A., D.A., and Sh.A. all of the time. [2] The record in this case thus cannot support a finding that S.A. and D.A. would face an imminent and substantial risk of substantial physical harm as a result of the possibility of encountering a physical hazard in N.A.'s care, and the superior court's CINA adjudication under subsection (C) is reversed. [3]