Opinion ID: 885900
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issues

Text: ¶ 28 Whether the District Court's findings that the biological parents had failed to successfully complete their treatments plans and that the conduct or condition rendering them unfit was unlikely to change within a reasonable period of time were clearly erroneous. ¶ 29 In reviewing a decision to terminate parental rights, we must determine whether a district court's findings of fact supporting termination are clearly erroneous and whether the district court's conclusions of law are correct. In the Matter of C.D.S., S.E.S., and T.M.S., 2000 MT 313, ¶ 5, ___ Mont. ___, ¶ 5, 14 P.3d 1248, ¶ 5 (citing In re the Custody and Parental Rights of P.M., 1998 MT 264, ¶ 12, 291 Mont. 297, ¶ 12, 967 P.2d 792, ¶ 12). As to the statutorily required findings of fact supporting termination, this Court has long recognized that a natural parent's right to care and custody of a child is a fundamental liberty interest which must be protected by fundamentally fair procedures. C.D.S., ¶ 5. ¶ 30 Consequently, prior to terminating an individual's parental rights, a district court must adequately address each applicable statutory requirement to determine if it has been established, and the burden is on the party seeking termination to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that every requirement set forth in the statute has been satisfied. In the context of parental rights termination cases, we have defined clear and convincing evidence as simply a requirement that a preponderance of the evidence be definite, clear, and convincing, or that a particular issue must be clearly established by a preponderance of the evidence or by a clear preponderance of the proof. In the Matter of B.F., R.F., and M.S., Jr., 2000 MT 231, ¶ 7, ___ Mont. ___, ¶ 7, 8 P.3d 790, ¶ 7 (quoting P.M., ¶ 12). A finding that a statutory requirement has been satisfied is clearly erroneous if it is not supported by clear and convincing evidence. B.F., ¶ 7. ¶ 31 The following criteria govern the termination of parental rights in this case: (1) The court may order a termination of the parent-child legal relationship upon a finding that any of the following circumstances exist: ... (f) the child is an adjudicated youth in need of care and both of the following exist: (I) an appropriate treatment plan that has been approved by the court has not been complied with by the parents or has not been successful; and (ii) the conduct or condition of the parents rendering them unfit is unlikely to change within a reasonable time. Section 41-3-609, MCA. When considering the criteria for termination, primary consideration must be given to the best interests of the child as demonstrated by the child's physical, mental, and emotional conditions and needs. In the Matter of J.N. and A.N., 1999 MT 64, ¶ 13, 293 Mont. 524, ¶ 13, 977 P.2d 317, ¶ 13 (citing § 41-3-609(3), MCA). ¶ 32 Neither Michael nor Michelle challenge the District Court's findings that S.M. and P.L.M. are youths in need of care. Nor does Michael challenge the District Court's findings that he did not complete his treatment plans. Both Michael and Michelle challenge the court's findings that the conduct or condition rendering them unfit is unlikely to change within a reasonable time and Michelle challenges the court's findings that her treatment plan was not successful.
¶ 33 The District Court terminated Michael's parental rights because he did not complete any of his treatment plans, he has a history of violent behavior, and he continues to exhibit excessive use of intoxicating liquor or of a narcotic drug that affects his ability to care for his children. Michael admits he did not complete his treatment plans, but he questions the need for a treatment plan when he was not the abuser of his children; his parenting skills or lack thereof did not place the children in harm's way; and he could not afford to do the tasks asked of him on the treatment plan. ¶ 34 Michael focuses on the problems stemming from the 1998 incidents of abuse involving Gerald, however, Michael's problems involving his ability to parent his children go back to the 1997 incident when drugs were discovered in his home, pornography was discovered on the floor in full view of S.M., and the house was filthy. In that incident, both Michael's and Michelle's use of drugs in the home and lack of parenting skills placed S.M. in harm's way. After Michelle completed her treatment plans stemming from that incident, S.M. was returned only to her care. S.M. was not returned to Michael's care following the 1997 incident because Michael refused to complete any of his treatment plans. Michael's noncompliance was not a factor in returning S.M. to Michelle because Michael was no longer residing with Michelle, and they subsequently divorced. ¶ 35 Michael has a long history of failing to complete the requirements of his treatment plans. Michael was evaluated by a chemical dependency counselor on June 14, 1999, who recommended that he undergo intensive outpatient treatment and attend regular AA meetings. Michael did not follow through with these recommendations. ¶ 36 Michael was scheduled to provide 20 urine samples for testing between July and September 1999. He refused to provide any samples even though he was warned in writing that a failure to provide a sample would be considered a positive test. ¶ 37 Although Michael's treatment plan required him to refrain from any criminal activity, Michael spent August and September of 1998 in jail for disorderly conduct. He was also arrested for a theft charge in May 1999. ¶ 38 At the January 7, 2000 termination hearing, Michael testified that he was currently homeless and unemployed. He acknowledged that he had not completed his treatment plans and he testified that he would never attend counseling. ¶ 39 In summary, the unrefuted evidence produced at the hearings in this matter revealed that Michael failed to complete the following requirements of his treatment plan: (1) maintaining a safe home; (2) maintaining a stable financial situation; (3) establishing and following a monthly budget; (4) completing individual/family therapy; (5) completing a psychological evaluation and following the recommendations; (6) completing anger management counseling; (7) following the recommendations of his chemical dependency evaluation; (8) attending three AA meetings per week; (9) submitting to random UA's; and (10) visiting regularly with the children. ¶ 40 In addition, although Michael testified that he had concerns about his children while Michelle was living with Gerald, Michael did not attempt to obtain custody. Furthermore, during the 1997 action and initially during this action, S.M. and P.L.M. were placed with Michael's father and step-mother. The children had to be removed from this home in April 1999, due to physical abuse by Michael's step-mother. It was not until after the children were removed from this home that Michael and Michelle disclosed that they did not feel that Michael's father and step-mother were appropriate caretakers due to abusive incidents towards Michael when he was a child. Certainly, a non-custodial parent cannot stand by and allow his or her children to be abused. See In the Matter of M.W. (1988), 234 Mont. 530, 534, 764 P.2d 1279, 1282. ¶ 41 Michael's refusal to take responsibility for his own actions; his refusal to appropriately address his inadequacies as a parent; and his failure to cooperate over the course of this case supports the District Court's conclusion that the conduct or condition rendering Michael unfit is unlikely to change within a reasonable time. As this Court has stated, Regrettably, we do not have a crystal ball to look into to make this determination, so it must, to some extent, be based on a person's past conduct. In the Matter of C.A.R. (1984), 214 Mont. 174, 187, 693 P.2d 1214, 1221. ¶ 42 Accordingly, we hold that the District Court did not err in terminating Michael's parental rights.
¶ 43 The District Court determined that although Michelle attempted compliance with her treatment plans, those attempts did not successfully rehabilitate her to obtaining minimum parenting skills. The court further determined that the conduct and condition rendering Michelle unfit had not sufficiently improved over the past 18 months and thus that conduct and condition is unlikely to change within a reasonable time. Consequently, the court terminated Michelle's parental rights. ¶ 44 We have repeatedly held that partial compliance with a treatment plan is insufficient to preclude termination of parental rights. In the Matter of K.A.B., 1999 MT 71, ¶ 19, 294 Mont. 29, ¶ 19, 977 P.2d 997, ¶ 19 (citations omitted). Not only must the parent comply with the treatment plan, but the treatment plan must also be successful. B.F., ¶ 15 (quoting In re E.W., 1998 MT 135, ¶ 26, 289 Mont. 190, ¶ 26, 959 P.2d 951, ¶ 26). It is well established that a treatment plan can be unsuccessful even when the tasks were completed. In the Matter of S.M., R.D., Jr., D.D., S.D., C.D., and J.D., 1999 MT 36, ¶ 25, 293 Mont. 294, ¶ 25, 975 P.2d 334, ¶ 25 (citing In the Matter of R.B.O. (1996), 277 Mont. 272, 281, 921 P.2d 268, 273). ¶ 45 Michelle was offered three separate treatment plans. She failed to prepare monthly budgets as required by her treatment plans and she did not attend family therapy. But, more importantly, Michelle did not successfully complete her treatment plans because she continues to be incapable of understanding and anticipating the dangers that her personal decisions present to the children. ¶ 46 Therapist Anne Harris, who worked with Michelle, testified about an incident where Michelle was having an unsupervised visit with her children at a swimming pool. While Michelle was focusing her attention on S.M., she failed to notice that P.L.M. had wandered off. It was not until S.M. brought it to her attention that Michelle realized that P.L.M. had fallen and was lying face down on the bottom of the wading pool. ¶ 47 After this incident, DPHHS did not allow any more unsupervised visits outside their offices because Michelle had demonstrated that she was incapable of safely supervising more than one child at a time. As DPHHS points out, it is disingenuous to argue that a mother who is not even allowed unsupervised visits with her children possesses even minimally adequate parenting skills. ¶ 48 Michelle knew Gerald did not have a driver's license, yet she allowed him to drive with the children in the car. Michelle testified that she let Gerald move in with her and the children after knowing him a very short time because he was cute. Michelle's inability to protect S.M. led to S.M. being physically and sexually abused by Gerald. Michelle continued to live with Gerald even after she was confronted with his physical and sexual abuse of S.M. Moreover, Michelle expressed disbelief that S.M. had been abused and it was Gerald that eventually broke off their relationship, not Michelle. ¶ 49 When S.M. and P.L.M. were removed from Michelle's care in July 1998, DPHHS scheduled several visits for Michelle. Michelle brought Gerald, S.M.'s abuser, with her to one of the scheduled visits. In addition, Michelle seems unaware of the special needs of her daughter as a result of the abuse she experienced. When asked about S.M.'s special needs, Michelle indicated that S.M. may need to be tested for dyslexia, but could identify no other concerns. ¶ 50 Furthermore, as previously noted, during the 1997 action and initially during this action, S.M. and P.L.M. were placed with Michael's father and step-mother. It was not until after the children were removed from this home due to physical abuse by Michael's stepmother that Michael and Michelle disclosed that they did not feel that Michael's father and step-mother were appropriate caretakers due to abusive incidents towards Michael when he was a child. ¶ 51 Michelle argues that she poses no harm to her children and that the men previously in her life, Michael and Gerald, cannot now be used to deny her her parental rights. However, as we noted previously, we do not have a crystal ball to look into, so our determination of a person's ability to parent their child must, to some extent, be based on that person's past conduct. C.A. R., 214 Mont. at 187, 693 P.2d at 1221. It is precisely because of the men Michelle previously let into her life and the children's lives that DPHHS is concerned that Michelle is incapable of keeping her children safe from future harm that could be inflicted upon them by third parties. ¶ 52 Social worker Jerri Tate testified that in her opinion Michelle remains a risk to her children. Therapist Anne Harris testified that Michelle still had problems in telling men no, that she would tell lies to cover for them, and that her judgment would likely be influenced by men. Thus, even if Michelle had completed all of the requirements of her treatment plans, the treatment plans have not been successful in rehabilitating her to obtaining minimum parenting skills and it is unlikely that these attributes of Michelle's will change within the immediately foreseeable future. We conclude that there is clear and convincing evidence to support the District Court's finding that Michelle's conduct or condition which renders her unfit as a parent is unlikely to change within a reasonable time. ¶ 53 Accordingly, we hold that the District Court did not err in terminating Michelle's parental rights. ¶ 54 Affirmed. We Concur: KARLA M. GRAY, C.J., JIM REGNIER, W. WILLIAM LEAPHART, TERRY N. TRIEWEILER, JJ..