Opinion ID: 2400724
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: best interest factor

Text: [¶ 10] The mother argues that the court erred in placing a priority on the best interest factor over and above the parental fitness factors. The Department argues that the court did not err because the court articulated its finding of parental unfitness in addition to its finding that termination is in Michelle's best interest. [¶ 11] We recently reiterated the constitutional requirement that an involuntary termination of parental rights may only be ordered when there is a showing by the Department that the parent is unfit or has harmed the child. In re Scott S., 2001 ME 114, ¶¶ 19-21, 775 A.2d 1144. To ensure that an involuntary termination will not occur without the finding of unfitness, we have repeatedly instructed the trial courts not to reach the best interest prong until the State has made a showing of unfitness. In re Melanie S., 1998 ME 132, ¶ 5, 712 A.2d 1036, 1037; In re Ashley A., 679 A.2d 86, 89 (Me.1996); In re Leona T., 609 A.2d 1157, 1158 (1992); In re Shannon R., 461 A.2d 707, 712 (Me.1983). In this case the court not only reached the best interest prong before considering the parental fitness factors, but it held that the best interest factor takes precedence over the fitness factors. In so doing, the trial court committed error.