Opinion ID: 1986881
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Placements for adoption

Text: The trial court found that Mother's acts included multiple, unstable, inappropriate, temporary placements including, but not limited to, placements in California, Arkansas, and Great Britain within a span of a few months during the first months of `The Twins' lives. There is no dispute that Mother twice attempted to place her twins for adoption. However, the record does not contain evidence that the first placement in California was unstable or inappropriate. The placements in ... Arkansas and Great Britain refer to the single attempted adoption of the twins in Arkansas by the couple from Great Britain and, thus, constitute but one placement. The two attempts at placement of the twins for adoption may have been mistakes, and may even have harmed the twins, but no reported Missouri case has ever held that placing a child up for adoption more than once rises to the level of abuse, and there is no reason to consider it abuse in this case. Mother's two attempts at placing her twins for adoption are not an indication of potential future harm to the twins, especially without evidence that she would try to again place the twins for adoption if she regains custody of them. There is no evidence in the record that Mother intends to do anything other than regain permanent custody of her twins. The trial court erred in concluding that these placements support findings that Mother committed severe and recurrent acts of emotional abuse and that Mother created conditions of a potentially harmful nature [that] continue to exist and will not be remedied at an early date. There is no evidence that the placements were abusive or that they indicate a likelihood of future harm. Therefore, they do not constitute evidence that instantly tilts the scales in favor of termination. T.A.S. II at 655.