Opinion ID: 1986881
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mother's continued stress, being overwhelmed with the reality of the twins and continued indecisiveness

Text: The trial court found that Mother suffered from continued stress and being overwhelmed with the reality of The Twins, and continued indecisiveness ... in dealing with `The Twins.' Mother's mental state cannot constitute abuse unless it rises to the level described by sections 211.447.4(2)(a) and (3)(c): [a] mental condition which is shown by competent evidence either to be permanent or such that there is no reasonable likelihood that the condition can be reversed and which renders the parent unable to knowingly provide the child the necessary care, custody and control. [8] In the Interest of C.L.W., 115 S.W.3d at 360-1 (Prewitt, J., dissenting); Mark Hardin and Robert Lancour, Early Termination of Parental Rights: Developing Appropriate Statutory Grounds, 14 (1996) (more required than just presence of mental or emotional disabilityincapacity must be so severe that parent is incapable of providing minimally acceptable care). It is hard to imagine a single working mother of five children living in poverty without enormous stress. Feeling overwhelmed in this context is not an indication of emotional instability, nor is it child abuse; rather, it is normal. DFS hired an expert to evaluate Mother's mental ability to care for her children. The expert found that Mother's difficulties in parenting are not substantially different from those of many other single parents caring for large families ..., she appears to be an adequate parent, and there is no evidence that her parental rights should be terminated. Sections 211.447.4(2)(a) and 211.447.4(3)(c) provide that a mental or emotional condition must be analyzed in three prongs to make an adequate finding: (1) documentationwhether the condition is supported by competent evidence; (2) durationwhether the condition is permanent or such that there is no reasonable likelihood that it can be reversed; and (3) severity of effectwhether the condition is so severe as to render the parent unable to knowingly provide the child necessary care, custody and control. Considering each of these three prongs, the problems cited by the trial court (stress, feeling overwhelmed and indecisiveness) do not support termination of parental rights. The expert evidence as to Mother's mental state did not constitute competent evidence that these problems were abnormal. These problems were situational and not necessarily permanent; therefore, the importance of the parenting or reunification plan and the services provided by DFS to Mother. There is evidence that Mother complied with the plan and that the services helped. The trial court's use of the word continued is without any support in the record. Even if there was reason to believe that these problems continued, there is no evidence in the record that such a combination of problems ever caused abuse or would cause future harm. The only evidence on this question was provided by the DFS expert who concluded that these reactions were expectable and not a potential cause of future harm. Therefore, these findings do not support the termination of Mother's parental rights.