Opinion ID: 896899
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: A. Deprivation

Text: [¶ 8] The juvenile court found that Susan and Dan are deprived children. A deprived child is statutorily defined under N.D.C.C. § 27-20-02(8)(a), as one who [i]s without proper parental care or control, subsistence, education as required by law, or other care or control necessary for the child's physical, mental, or emotional health, or morals, and the deprivation is not due primarily to the lack of financial means of the child's parents, guardian, or other custodian. At the time of the termination proceedings, both parents were incarcerated, resulting in Susan and Dan not having available parental care or control by either parent. [¶ 9] Dr. Kevin Schumacher has a Ph.D. in psychology and is employed at Psychiatric Medicine Associates in Fargo. He works mostly with children and adolescents. Social Services personnel referred Susan and Dan to Dr. Schumacher in December 1998, and he has counseled them regularly, about once every two weeks, since that time. Dr. Schumacher testified that both Susan and Dan have emotional and mental health problems stemming from a home background which is chaotic and unpredictable and damaging. Dr. Schumacher testified the children were seriously affected by being removed from the mother when she was jailed and then, after briefly being reunited with her, they were removed again when Maria was incarcerated. He testified that this has created a good deal of lack of clarity in terms of who's going to take care of me, which is a fundamentally very scary question for a child and I'm not sure that that question's been answered yet. So the kids have been hanging literally by their fingernails psychologically wondering about what their social environment and familial environment is going to be like. Dr. Schumacher testified the children are very combative with each other, have serious attendance and achievement problems at school, toilet hygiene and bed wetting problems, and emotional and psychological stress and problems. He testified these children will require long-term counseling and treatment. [¶ 10] Maria admitted in open court that the children are deprived as defined by the statute. On appeal, she does not raise this element for parental termination as an issue.