Opinion ID: 4511272
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: After a newborn reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine, the State sought to adjudicate the newborn—who had been in a hospital with his mother—and his two siblings—who lived with and received appropriate care from their grandmother—solely on the basis that the children “lack[ed] proper parental care.”1 The juvenile court declined to adjudicate them, finding that the State failed to prove they were at risk of harm. On appeal, our decision regarding the older siblings is driven by the plain meaning of the statute on the State’s chosen ground, its choice not to allege any other ground, and its failure to establish that the mother exposed or threatened to expose them to her drug usage. We affirm the juvenile court’s decision as to them. But because the evidence demonstrated that the newborn lacked proper parental care due to his mother’s fault or habits, we reverse the court’s decision as to him and remand the cause for further proceedings.