Opinion ID: 2520536
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rick failed to remedy his abandonment of Diane.

Text: Judge Brown found that Rick failed to remedy his abandonment of Diane based on the child's rejection and fear of her father which the child demonstrated during visits. Rick argues that this finding was erroneous, because Diane's rejection of Rick may well have been based on unrelated problems that had occurred in her mother's household. It is plausible to assume that Diane's abuse at the hands of her mother may have contributed to her distrust of Rick, but it defies common sense to suppose that the rejection was not also based in major part on Rick's absence from her life. For example, Diane seems to have bonded quite well with her foster mother. Rick's argument is speculative, and does not establish that Judge Brown clearly erred in his determination that Rick was to blame for Diane's rejection. An additional issue, not raised by Rick, is whether Judge Brown's findings constitute a finding that Rick has failed, within a reasonable time, to remedy the conduct or conditions in the home that place the child in substantial risk so that returning the child to the parent would place the child at substantial risk of physical or mental injury within the meaning of the failure-to-remedy provision. [12] Specifically, the question is whether Judge Brown's findings establish that reuniting Diane with Rick would place the child at substantial risk of a mental injury. Our cases indicate that a parent's willingness to resume parental duties does not remedy abandonment if this change of heart comes too late for the parent to bond with the child during the critical early phase of the child's life. [13] In M.W. v. State, Department of Health & Social Services, the father said he was ready to resume a role in his daughter's life, and argued that under these circumstances there was no failure to remedy the conduct that put the child at risk of harm. [14] We rejected this argument. We noted expert testimony in the record in that case that it was important for a child to bond with its parent in the early months of its life; we also noted legislative findings indicating the importance of expediting the placement process for children under six years of age. [15] On this basis, we concluded that the parent's attempt to resolve abandonment by reappearing does not remedy the conduct unless the attempt occurs within a reasonable amount of time. [16] We believe the assumption underlying this decision is that, where a young child has lived without the parent for a significant period of time, that in and of itself may be sufficient evidence to establish that reunification would put the child at substantial risk of ... mental injury within the meaning of AS 47.10.088(a)(1)(B)(ii). Here, there is no expert testimony about the importance of early bonding, but it was clear that Rick spent almost no time with Diane in the five years of her life preceding the termination trial. There was also compelling evidence of Diane's rejection and fear of her father during the brief supervised visits that did occur We believe this rejecting behavior indicates the mental injury clearly enough to establish Rick's failure within a reasonable time to remedy the conduct that led to Diane's mental injury, even assuming Rick were ready to assume custody or visitation of Diane today. We therefore find no error in Judge Brown's failure-to-remedy finding.