Court Opinion

ID: 9807216
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 19:54:01.474611+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:30:13.903779
License: Public Domain

Hall, J.,
dissents, and votes to affirm the order insofar as appealed from, with the following memorandum: In my view, the Family Court’s determination granting the mother’s application pursuant to Family Court Act § 1028 for the return of the subject child is supported by a sound and substantial basis in the record. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent and vote to affirm the Family Court’s order insofar as appealed from.
On this record, it appears that the mother did everything in her power to comply with the petitioner’s service requirements. Indeed, the evidence presented at the hearing demonstrated that the mother complied with virtually all of the petitioner’s service requirements. Specifically, the mother completed a parenting skills program, an anger management program, and a mental health evaluation. The mother was also fully compliant with her drug treatment program, and all her drug tests were negative. Furthermore, the comprehensive risk assessment of the mother, which was conducted during the pendency of the proceeding, did not indicate that returning the subject child to the mother would pose an imminent risk of harm to the child.
The petitioner’s concerns about returning the subject child to the mother were largely based on the mother’s proclivity to have emotional outbursts. However, the testimony presented by the petitioner revealed that the mother would get upset when the children were produced late for scheduled visits, or were not dressed in a way that the mother deemed appropriate. The Family Court, who had the advantage of seeing and hearing the witnesses, found that the mother’s reactions, while perhaps “not the best way to handle things,” were rational and understandable in light of the circumstances. The Family Court reasoned that, although the mother was complying with the petitioner’s directives, the “goal post” kept getting moved and any reasonable parent would be frustrated under those circumstances.
*693In addition, the Family Court’s involvement in the proceedings that resulted in the removal of the older children supported its additional finding that the subject child was differently situated from the other children, and that the mother could handle caring for the subject child, a newborn infant, under appropriate supervision. It is eminently reasonable to conclude that the mother could adequately care for one infant child, but not five children in total.
The Family Court’s order also imposed appropriate safeguards and conditions for the return of the subject child to the mother. The mother was required to comply with supervision by the Administration for Children’s Services (including announced and unannounced visits) and to comply with referrals for domestic violence counseling and supportive psychotherapy (including the possible need for medication). The mother was also directed to comply with homemaking services if put in place, and to enforce a Criminal Court order of protection in her favor. These conditions and safeguards minimized any potential risk to the subject child (see Nicholson v Scoppetta, 3 NY3d 357, 378 [2004]).
On balance, it is my opinion that the Family Court’s finding, that the risk of harm in removing the subject child outweighed the risk of nonremoval, has a sound and substantial basis in the record. Accordingly, I vote to affirm, insofar as appealed from, the Family Court’s order, which returned the subject child to the mother with the above-mentioned conditions and safeguards (see Family Ct Act § 1028 [a]; Nicholson v Scoppetta, 3 NY3d at 378; cf. Matter of Cyraia B. [Carduck B.], 96 AD3d 936 [2012]; Matter of Alan C. [Thomas C.], 85 AD3d 912 [2011]).