Court Opinion

ID: 9678455
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:20:13.682792+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:04.710368
License: Public Domain

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
SPURLOCK, Justice.
On motion for rehearing the Edna Glad-ney Home claims that by failing to discuss the relationship of § 11.03 and § 16.02 * we admit commission of'“one of the classical errors of statutory construction: attempting to determine the meaning of one sentence of a statute without regard to the legislative intent revealed in the statute as a whole”. It is true that there is no direct reference or citation to § 11.03. However, we thoroughly considered the entire scheme of adoptions and suits affecting the parent-child relationship prior to rendition of our judgment.
The home correctly states the general rule of § 11.03 that persons having an interest in a child may file suit to affect the parent-child relationship. The home points out that no exception to the general rule of § 11.03 is stated in § 11. Its position is that because there is no express exception § 11.03 has not been nor may be modified by any other provision of the code. We do not agree. We referred to standing to bring a petition for adoption. By that reference we contemplated that the general rule of § 11.03 was modified by the specific statutory provisions relating to adoption, particularly § 16.02. We noted that the statutory scheme for adoptions is for the purpose of creating a parent-child relationship between those who were previously legal strangers. We fail to see how this purpose is best served by denying access to the courts to those who are legal strangers. § 16.02 makes any adult eligible to adopt. Further, § 16.05(d) provides that the consent of the managing conservator to an adoption may be waived by the court under certain circumstances.
Coupled together it is our opinion that the specific provisions relating to *480adoption modify the general rule of § 11.03. It is nonsensical to make any adult eligible to adopt and to provide that consent of the managing conservator may be waived by the court, and then to deny enjoyment of these provisions by holding that legal strangers cannot maintain a suit to adopt. It is well settled that the best interest of the child is of utmost importance. The home’s position is that licensed adoption agencies shall be the final judges of the best interest of the child. It is our opinion that the legislature has vested the courts of this state with this power and responsibility.
Finally the home claims that the fact that it has vested prospective adoptive parents with possession of a child gives the prospective adoptees a “legally cognizable interest”. We know of no requirement that an adoption agency participate in every adoption. § 16.02 states that any adult is eligible to adopt. Therefore we fail to discern how placement of a child by the home legally vests an interest in the possessors of the child and disqualifies all others. It is the best interest of the child with which we are concerned. It is our opinion that access to the courts of this state will best serve this goal.
Motion for rehearing is overruled.
HUGHES, J., dissents without further opinion.

 All statutory references are to Tex. Family Code Ann.