Opinion ID: 2067744
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: standing of foster parents

Text: DSS argues that the Browns, as foster parents, do not have standing to object to DSS' plan to change placement of the children from the Browns' foster care. DSS claims that the parties who have standing to object to DSS' actions with respect to a change of placement are limited to those parties listed in Neb.Rev.Stat. § 43-285(2) (Reissue 1993), which provides: Following an adjudication hearing at which a juvenile is adjudged to be under subdivision (3) of section 43-247, the court may order the department to prepare and file with the court a proposed plan for the care, placement, and services which are to be provided to such juvenile and his or her family.... If any other party, including, but not limited to, the guardian ad litem, parents, county attorney, or custodian, proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the department's plan is not in the juvenile's best interests, the court shall disapprove the department's plan. DSS points out that foster parents are not specifically included in § 43-285(2) and that, therefore, the court should not have admitted any evidence offered by the Browns at the dispositional hearing. DSS claims that without the evidence introduced on behalf of the Browns, its plan would have been adopted. DSS was not present at the hearing, and the record does not indicate that DSS requested a continuance in order to secure legal counsel. Nevertheless, DSS complains that because it had no legal representation at the hearing, the county court should have on its own motion considered the issue of standing. Section 43-285(3) provides: The department ... shall file a report and notice of placement change with the court and shall send copies of the notice to all interested parties ... before the placement of the juvenile is changed from what the court originally considered to be a suitable family home or institution to some other custodial situation.... The court, on its own motion or upon the filing of an objection to the change by an interested party, may order a hearing to review such a change in placement and may order that the change be stayed until completion of the hearing.... The department or any other party may request a review of the change in placement by a juvenile review panel in the manner set out in section 43-287.04. Considering the language of § 43-285(2) and (3), we conclude that foster parents are interested parties. Section 43-285(2) states: If any other party, including, but not limited to, the guardian ad litem, parents, county attorney, or custodian, proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the department's plan is not in the juvenile's best interests, the court shall disapprove the department's plan. (Emphasis supplied.) The Foster Care Review Act, Neb. Rev.Stat. §§ 43-1301 to 43-1318 (Reissue 1993), addresses the placements of neglected, dependent, or delinquent children. See § 43-1301(4). In the case at bar, the children were adjudicated to be without proper support through no fault of their parent under § 43-247(3)(a). Children without proper support under § 43-247(3)(a) meet the definition of neglected or dependent children under § 43-1301(4). Thus, the standing provisions of the Foster Care Review Act aid our determination of who is an interested party under § 43-285. To this end, § 43-1314 provides: Except as otherwise provided in the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Act, notice of the court review and the right of participation in all court reviews pertaining to a child in a foster care placement shall be provided by the court having jurisdiction over such child for the purposes of foster care placement either in court, by mail, or in such other manner as the court may direct. Such notice shall be provided to: (1) The person charged with the care of such child; (2) the child's parents or guardian unless the parental rights of the parents have been terminated by court action as provided in section 43-292 or 43-297; (3) the foster child if age fourteen or over; (4) the foster parent or parents of the foster child; (5) the guardian ad litem of the foster child; and (6) the state board. Section 43-1314 states that foster parents shall have notice and the right to participate in all court reviews pertaining to a child in foster placement. Therefore, we conclude that the Browns have standing to participate in the foster care placement review as foster parents. There is another reason why the Browns have standing. The children's mother has consented to an open adoption by the Browns and has signed a relinquishment to that effect. We have held that in a private adoption, the adoptive family stands on equal ground with a natural mother with respect to a determination of custody. For example, in Lum v. Mattley, 208 Neb. 789, 305 N.W.2d 878 (1981), a natural mother had relinquished custody of her child and sought return through a writ of habeas corpus. We held that after the valid relinquishment of the child by the natural mother, the adoptive family stood on equal ground with the natural mother with respect to determining custody. Likewise, in Yopp v. Batt, 237 Neb. 779, 467 N.W.2d 868 (1991), we recognized that upon execution of a valid relinquishment for adoption, the natural parent's rights were no longer superior to those of the prospective adoptive family and that the prospective adoptive family had standing to contest custody. In the present case, the children's mother has given a valid relinquishment in favor of the Browns. Therefore, as prospective adoptive parents, the Browns have standing to contest DSS' plan. DSS' reliance upon In re Interest of S.R., 217 Neb. 528, 352 N.W.2d 141 (1984), in support of its position that the Browns do not have standing in the case is misplaced. In that case, the child was adjudicated as lacking proper parental care under § 43-247 and was placed in the temporary care of the child's grandparents. The parental rights of the child's parents were subsequently terminated. The juvenile court then removed the child from the grandparents' home and placed the child for potential adoption with the Nebraska Children's Home Society. The district court affirmed the change of placement, and the grandparents attempted to appeal. We held that the grandparents did not have standing because any connection they had with the child was legally severed by the termination of parental rights. On the factual basis alone, In re Interest of S.R. is distinguishable from the present case and, therefore, has no application.