Opinion ID: 2168029
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The child's need for continuity of care and caretakers and for timely integration into a stable and permanent home, taking into account the differences in the development and the concept of time of children of different ages;

Text: R.M. met J.T. when R.M. was staying at a shelter where J.T. volunteered on weekends. R.M. stayed at the shelter for five months following the birth of her child, T.M. during which time R.M. and J.T. became close. One afternoon while volunteering at the shelter, J.T. received a phone call from R.M. asking her if she would meet her and take care of her daughter because of her inability at the time. R.M. left T.M. with J.T. and told her that she would be in touch with her. T.M. stayed with J.T. for three months while R.M. underwent drug rehabilitation. When R.M. finished the program, she again took custody of T.M. However, after a couple of weeks, in December of 1991, R.M. called J.T. asking her to care for T.M. again. J.T. agreed, and picked T.M. up at R.M.'s aunt's house. This time, J.T. took care of the respondent for another three months. A pattern developed whereby R.M. asked and J.T. agreed to care for T.M. when she was unable because of drug abuse or efforts at rehabilitation. Although the parties were close when the arrangement began, the relationship deteriorated as J.T. became closer to T.M. and wished to be her full time caretaker. R.M. made J.T. godmother to T.M. and turned to J.T. rather than her own family to care for her child in her absence. R.M. thought of J.T. as a mother, and believed that she would always support her efforts to overcome her drug addiction and reclaim custody of her child. Over time, however, the parties developed conflicting agendas. As J.T. became more bonded to T.M., she discontinued the liberal visitation she had once encouraged. J.T. required R.M. to arrange visits through D.H.S. rather than allowing R.M. to call her directly to see T.M. In addition, J.T. stopped allowing R.M. and her friend Y.M. take T.M. to church on Sundays. Naturally, R.M. felt betrayed when she learned of J.T.'s intention to adopt T.M. However, while R.M.'s feelings may be natural, she did little to develop a relationship with T.M. She did not arrange visitation through D.H.S. and has only seen her a handful of times since August of 1992. [1] J.T. and T.M. have now bonded to the exclusion of R.M., and T.M. treats J.T. as her mother. T.M. has lived with J.T. at her house for most of her three years. J.T. works for the Department of Justice and provides for day care for T.M. while she is working. From the testimony and the exhibits presented, the court finds that T.M. has adjusted well to her life with J.T. and is comfortable in her home. On the other hand, T.M. has not lived with her natural mother since she was an infant. When T.M. was in her mother's custody she lived in a number of places, including the shelter where she met J.T. T.M. also lived at her mother's friend's house on 5th Street, N.W., and briefly with her aunt and J.T. R.M. is currently incarcerated and without employment. It is unclear where R.M. will live when she is released from prison. Over the three years, R.M. has had sporadic contact with her daughter. While sober, R.M. made great efforts to care for her child, however during periods of relapse, she has counted on J.T. to provide a home and to care for J.T. The court recognizes and commends R.M. for desiring to turn her life around. She aspires to remain sober and find gainful employment. But without current employment or an apartment, and by her present incarceration it is uncertain that she will ever be prepared to have custody of T.M. Instead, she intends for her sister, T.J. to care for T.M. until she is able to do so. The court finds that to uproot T.M. from her home and family of three years and place her with an aunt with whom she has had little contact in hope that her mother will someday be able to care for her would be contrary to her interests in continuity of care and caretakers and defeat well founded integration into the stable provident home she currently enjoys. From all accounts, J.T. has provided a stable home environment for T.M. and the court finds that J.T. has demonstrated that she is committed to caring and rearing T.M. J.T. plans to adopt T.M. following the outcome of this trial. The court finds that termination of R.M.'s parental rights would enable J.T. to move forward with adoption of T.M. and ensure permanent placement in her present stable environment.