Court Opinion

ID: 9736669
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:02:13.020519+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:27:07.984730
License: Public Domain

Krivosha, C.J.,
dissenting.
I find that I must respectfully dissent from the majority’s opinion in this case. The record discloses that just at the time when the mother appears to be making the progress which we would hope she would make, we terminate her parental rights. As noted by the majority, since September 18, 1980, the mother’s attitude has noticeably changed. She has obtained her G.E.D. certificate and was receiving therapy from the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute. Moreover, she is attending parenting classes and is employed as a waitress. Her positive parenting counselor testified that she was making a good effort at improving her parenting skills, although she was not sure that she could apply these skills in raising her children. The caseworker noted that the children appeared to be a little more excited about seeing their mother during visitations than they had been earlier. Even the guardian ad litem said that he had trouble recommending termination at this time.
The majority notes that the termination of parental rights should be a last resort that should be implemented only when no other reasonable alternative exists, citing In re Interest of Hill, 207 Neb. 233, 298 N.W.2d 143 (1980), and In re Interest of Holley, 209 Neb. 437, 308 N.W.2d 341 (1981). Because I agree with that proposition of law, I do not believe that this record clearly and convincingly establishes that termination is the only reasonable alternative remaining. I would have reversed the trial court’s order terminating the parental rights of the children *531as to the mother and would have continued the program of rehabilitation under court supervision. Once the parental rights of the mother are not terminated, little purpose is served in terminating the rights of the father. For that reason, I would have reversed and remanded this case so as to continue the children in supervised foster care, with the expectation that the mother’s behavior would continue to improve, as it was improving, and that ultimately the children could be returned to their mother. If that did hot prove out, there would still be time to terminate the parental rights.