Opinion ID: 1272597
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: andrew's contact with dhhs

Text: When Miranda and Chance first became involved in juvenile proceedings, a DHHS initial assessment worker, Kris Kircher, was assigned to Chance. At Andrew's termination hearing, Kircher testified that from the earliest involvement with DHHS, Miranda had consistently informed her that Andrew was Chance's father. Kircher, through Miranda, child support databases, and federal and state departments of corrections Web sites, was able to find three addresses for Andrew. On June 4, 2007, Kircher sent one letter to each of the three addresses, via certified mail, informing Andrew that he was the alleged father of Chance and that a juvenile case had been filed. The letters were on DHHS letterhead and included the case docket number, Miranda's name, and contact telephone numbers. They advised Andrew to contact an attorney and that a petition to terminate his parental rights may be filed, due to abandonment. One of the three letters was sent to Andrew at an address on Richland Drive in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Andrew testified that he resided at that address during this time, but received no such letter. No evidence was adduced that the letters had been received or returned. Kircher explained that she did not attempt to contact Andrew by telephone, although she was present at a visitation when Miranda claimed to be on the telephone with Andrew discussing Chance. Shortly thereafter, the case was transferred to a second DHHS caseworker, Watson, who testified that she also was involved in the process of locating Andrew. Watson explained that in such a case where a parent's whereabouts are unknown, she first checks to see what the initial assessment worker has completed and then conducts her own investigation, which includes looking for addresses and telephone numbers, talking with family members, and Internet research. Watson testified that when she received Chance's file, she reviewed the letters Kircher had sent out a couple of weeks before and doublechecked all current addresses within the child support system, the DHHS computer programs, and the Nebraska and Kentucky child support systems. Watson also talked to all possible relatives, as well as Miranda. Watson testified that she knew Andrew was Chance's legal father from the marriage certificate of Andrew and Miranda. According to Watson, she did not initially send out letters to Andrew because Kircher had recently done so. Miranda supplied Watson with a telephone number for Andrew, and Watson testified that immediately after she received the case, she tried to contact Andrew [s]everal times and then again every couple of months until February 2008. On February 1, Watson sent Andrew two letters, one again going to the Richland Drive address in Bowling Green. Watson testified that on February 14, she received a voicemail from Andrew stating that he had received her letter and providing a new contact telephone number. Watson called Andrew at the newly provided number and left him a lengthy message, with court dates and telephone numbers, but did not actually talk to Andrew until March 4. During the conversation on March 4, 2008, Andrew told Watson that he did not believe Chance was his son because of how Chance looked at birth. Watson explained to Andrew that under Nebraska law, because he and Miranda were married at the time of Chance's birth, he was presumed to be Chance's legal father. Watson testified that Andrew explained that he had not seen Chance since birth, but had talked with Miranda `all the time' about Chance and how he looked. Andrew told Watson, again, that he did not think Chance was his, but would take him if Chance was his child. Watson gave Andrew several referrals for DNA testing and several contact numbers for herself, as well as child support agencies. Andrew did not ask to have any contact with Chance at that time, but continued to maintain contact with Watson over the following months. In April 2008, genetic testing was completed, indicating that Andrew was Chance's father.