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<div><div><div><div id="pdf-container" style="width: 782px"> <div id="pf1" data-page-no="1"> <div><div> <div>24CA0316 Peo in Interest of AMB-<span>Y 10</span>-10-2024 </div> <div> </div> <div>COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Court of Appeals No. 24CA0316 </div> <div>Boulder County District Court No. 22JV30011 </div> <div>Honorable <span>J. Keith Collins, Judge</span> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>The People of the State of Colorado, </div> <div> </div> <div>Appellee, </div> <div> </div> <div>In the Interest of A.M.B-<span>Y., </span>a Child, </div> <div> </div> <div>and Concerning C.B.C., </div> <div> </div> <div>Appellant, </div> <div> </div> <div>and </div> <div> </div> <div>K.Y.,<span> </span> </div> <div> </div> <div>Appellee. </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>JUDGMENT AFFIRMED<span> </span> </div> <div> </div> <div>Division VI </div> <div>Opinion by JUDGE MOULTRIE </div> <div>Welling<span> and Brown, JJ., concur </span> </div> <div> </div> <div>NOT PUBLISHED PURSUANT TO C.A.R. 35(e)<span> </span> </div> <div>Announced October 10, 2024 </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Benjamin Pearlman, C<span>ounty</span> Attorney, Debra W. Dodd, Special Assistant </div> <div>County Attorney, Boulder, Colorado, for Appellee The People of the State of </div> <div>Colorado </div> <div> </div> <div>Robert Tweedell, Guardian Ad Litem<span> </span> </div> <div> </div> <div>Patrick R. Henson, <span>Office of Respondent Parentsâ Counsel, Justin Twardowski, </span> </div> <div>Office of Respondent Parentsâ Counsel, Denver<span>, Colorado, for Appellant </span> </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf2" data-page-no="2"> <div><div> <div> </div> <div>John F. Poor, Office of Respondent Parentsâ Counsel, Denver, Colorado, for </div> <div>Appellee K.Y. </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf3" data-page-no="3"> <div><div> <div>1 </div> <div>¶ 1<span> </span><span>In this dependency and neglect action, C.B.C. (mother) </span> </div> <div>appeals the judgment allocating parental responsibilities f<span></span>or </div> <div>A.M.B-Y. (the child) to K.Y. (father). We affirm the judgment. </div> <div>I.<span> <span>Background </span></span> </div> <div>¶ 2<span> </span><span>When the child was six months old, the Boulder County </span> </div> <div>Department of Housing and Human Services (the Department) </div> <div>began working with mother and the childâs older sibling.<span> <span>At that </span></span> </div> <div>time, the sibling had been out of motherâs care as part of <span></span>a </div> <div>dependency and neglect action in another county for more than </div> <div>three years. </div> <div>¶ 3<span> <span>The child was added to the siblingâs case as a non<span>-court </span></span></span> </div> <div>involved âparticipating childâ in 2020.<span> <span>In 2022, the juvenile cou<span></span>rt </span></span> </div> <div>overseeing the siblingâs case ordered the Department t<span></span>o investigate </div> <div>pursuant to section 19-3-501(1), C.R.S. 2024, which authorizes a </div> <div>court <span>to</span> <span>order a department to âmake a preliminary investigation t<span></span>o </span> </div> <div>determine whether the interests of the child or of the community </div> <div>require that further action be taken.â<span> </span> </div> <div>¶ 4<span> </span><span>The Department then filed a petition in dependency and </span> </div> <div>neglect concerning the then-three-year-old child.<span> </span>The petition </div> <div>alleged concerns that mother was not following court <span></span>orders entered </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf4" data-page-no="4"> <div><div> <div>2 </div> <div>in the older siblingâs cases to ensure the childâs safety.<span> <span>The petition </span></span> </div> <div>also alleged that mother was unable to provide a safe environm<span></span>ent </div> <div>for the child. </div> <div>¶ 5<span> </span><span>For about a month, the child resided with mother unde<span></span>r </span> </div> <div>protective supervision from the Department.<span> </span>Then the child was </div> <div>moved into fatherâs care, where she resided througho<span></span>ut the rest of </div> <div>the dependency and neglect case. </div> <div>¶ 6<span> </span><span>The juvenile court adjudicated the child dependent and </span> </div> <div>neglected and adopted a treatment plan for mother.<span> </span>Father later </div> <div>moved for primary custody and sole decision-making under an </div> <div>allocation of parental responsibilities (APR).<span> </span>Mother objected and </div> <div>moved for primary custody and sole decision-making in her own </div> <div>proposed APR. </div> <div>¶ 7<span> </span><span>In February 2024, nearly two years after the petition was <span></span>filed </span> </div> <div>and following a three-day contested hearing, the juvenile court </div> <div>entered an APR allocating sole custody and decision-making to </div> <div>father. </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf5" data-page-no="5"> <div><div> <div>3 </div> <div>II.<span> <span>Reasonable Efforts </span></span> </div> <div>¶ 8<span> </span><span>Mother first argues that the juvenile court erred by entering </span> </div> <div>the APR judgment because the Department failed to make </div> <div>reasonable efforts to reunify her with the child.<span> </span>We disagree. </div> <div>¶ 9<span> </span><span>A department must make reasonable efforts to rehabilit<span></span>ate </span> </div> <div>parents and reunite families when a child is placed <span>â</span> or is at </div> <div>imminent risk of placement <span>â</span> out of the home. §§ <span>19</span>-1-103(114), </div> <div>19<span>-3-100.5, 19-3-208(1), 19-3-604(2)(h), C.R.S. 2024<span></span>. </span> </div> <div>¶ 10<span> </span><span>But the child was not in an out-<span>of</span>-home placement when t<span></span>he </span> </div> <div>APR judgment entered <span>â</span> she had been with father for all but t<span></span>he </div> <div>first month of the dependency case.<span> </span>§ <span>19<span>-1-</span></span><span>103(107) (âPlacement </span> </div> <div>out of the homeâ means placement in a home or center o<span></span>perated or </div> <div>licensed by a department of human services.). And the <span></span>court </div> <div>allocated parental responsibilities between parents, not t<span></span>o a </div> <div>nonparent. <span>See People in Interest of A.S.L.</span><span>,</span><span> </span>
2022 COA 146, ¶ <span></span>20 </div> <div>(holding that the court is required to consider reasonable eff<span></span>orts </div> <div>when it enters an APR to a nonparent). Accordingly, t<span></span>he juvenile </div> <div>court was not required to find that the Department made </div> <div>reasonable efforts as part of the APR judgment. <span>See </span> </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf6" data-page-no="6"> <div> <img alt="" src="https://icbg.s3.amazonaws.com/media/MMV/nV4/MMVnV47XciMHbtksu3FbPZrYFymzyXg/Nf0Tzg7MWPSUY%3D?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIA5PHC3MTPVUW63MDE&Expires=1728680587&Signature=Wjix%2FSMqcYWHaOTYP1eVn47cb9A%3D&x-amz-security-token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEDwaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJIMEYCIQDYG88ugu%2BOG6p%2F7zMM%2FVHyCDVgNMHmYnd9oIYGU8XDiAIhAIyUaRwThLye4IGjjf62NBJ6%2Fn19spB38YJxNMbOwbT4KroFCJX%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEQABoMOTI2MDQxMjAzOTM1Igy%2Fxe6MQLdbqJvtgCcqjgVVPR%2F65J0jXCWkurUGFJwG8pgsYUElYvMAGkPyfgawSAWa1ZuPBKwjr9NfsLH6RrC6xgMiRGy95s%2BHm6yp6jlGx5e5M6u06Wg6Tet1VcBtxJ7e1sMzn8hxBijF9bLuVB6v0s4IWD%2BrCEr9pk0trb3z0wEKj25Jbe44JTSOcc6nXHeXjUlrvEnc2yZUg%2BGN%2FdSPnpZaLt9OHv7f%2FGQNHB2yqE%2FNPaLesgSdbUOWeNNkaiGmjI5XkgqPa7LHP9GsDiSq%2BGDhKPwIw5xBxfF4wP0yLZX%2FB6XNhf%2FbidEJp7IdUGU6%2BwCOPxKoD2%2BnUIFSyD1c3Xd51jRs4kGnK8zRyMoOfDdY8%2FkkNBWnKLn1xaIQvHvgOZV2KWNeBzUj2xvokjsTbehFhl6xZzdtG2MFJa5CgJ%2FmUGEO2tVWmVq%2F58Aegb2%2BYe%2BLDPdoCsvbmQOTF6Wz1mq2BDesH2b0Fy8EPuvVT7ThA2YeDabFo%2FgSapi%2BjIWshk9uRMXigipm3SBOel85T428NsZNGM98v4tuERAgmGbQ5B2iQ96tX5qJ2hCzkPhXca%2BNJz%2FlG8gmffmo%2Fbd1fckQzEaZRWS90N1qm1psKJcggYDms02XvvgupwMG%2F3svlQdVWULAvS6Mt%2FNAPLp67Ie89NUMm1iYgKdH64ERXdBBNFjvyvmGLSRCnJWoFrdrRbPvDLYm%2BU0icuHSSKjvmWjWndg3xov40f5%2Fkg7MUT4KRkAUE3haBT2gXjPrXK0hGci0882mj%2BzR67PHstXqZ4W8k1EaqJ1a%2FG5IisjOwFId%2FW8S4lk0b90CrBWOWdQwJJjmy%2BRQpzLVKm%2F0yt%2FCqqPPqQr0YSPv6jkqUVmlvkLigWLzIekn9ym6MTMw9vmluAY6sAHWSqvpjLi%2BmIqidJ8owaWPpUWJHzyaCeXX965wI%2BTs2gpYnz2Qv8GdIkBZ%2FNF5IOj0VFAfS87tXpf6FQA4hD3fBAK3un0fHdgNs78buGxRFKc1EEQ6RcnTIAfhGlLWdSuNxwjXz0yDkJdxPb2EtCDHs13AE6txwmld3xBDhiMXqrYPjue%2FpJ5nL8Y8%2FjsZjY0iJKqPFk%2Be8a7dtoSO2JcHljrG%2FpdPuJ5OaZiqg%2BDabQ%3D%3D"><div> <div>4 </div> <div>§§ <span>19</span><span>-1-103(114), 19-3-100.5(1), 19-3-208(1), 19-3-604(2)(h); <span>cf. </span></span> </div> <div>A.S.L.<span>, ¶ 20. </span> </div> <div>¶ 11<span> </span><span>Mother claims that reasonable-efforts findings were required </span> </div> <div>in her case because the child was at <span>âimminent riskâ of out</span><span>-<span>of</span></span>-h<span></span>ome </div> <div>placement.<span> <span>Mother asserts that father had âvery extensive </span></span> </div> <div>responsibilities with regard to [his] other children.â<span> </span> </div> <div>¶ 12<span> <span>We arenât persuaded. Nothing in the record suggests that<span></span> the </span></span> </div> <div>child was at any risk of out-<span>of</span>-home placement. To the cont<span></span>rary, </div> <div>the juvenile court found that father and his wife were âfit<span></span> and </div> <div>appropriate parents.â<span> <span>The court acknowledged that other children </span></span> </div> <div>in fatherâs home required âextra effort and careâ but f<span></span>ound that </div> <div>father was âable to successfully manage.â<span> <span>The court found that </span></span> </div> <div>âextensiveâ home studies in two counties found âno issues at allâ </div> <div>with fatherâs home and that father had âreally demonstrated<span> the </span> </div> <div>ability to put [the child]âs needs at the forefront.â<span> </span> </div> <div>¶ 13<span> </span><span>The record supports these findings. The caseworker testif<span></span>ied </span> </div> <div>that father had been âconsistent and proactive in getting <span></span>the </div> <div>servicesâ that the child needed.<span> <span>The caseworker routinely observed </span></span> </div> <div>the child in fatherâs home and ânever had concerns about [the </div> <div>childâs] needs not being met.â<span> <span>Father was a certified foster parent </span></span> </div> </div> </div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf7" data-page-no="7"> <div><div> <div>5 </div> <div>before the child was placed with him, and the Department<span></span> </div> <div>determined that father was âan appropriate and fit parentâ at<span></span> the </div> <div>beginning of the case. </div> <div>¶ 14<span> </span><span>Additionally, when it entered the APR judgment, the court </span> </div> <div>found that âthe Department ha[d] no protective concernsâ an<span></span>d it </div> <div>ordered the Department to be dismissed from protect<span></span>ive </div> <div>supervision.<span> <span>The court record and its judgment granting an <span></span>APR to </span></span> </div> <div>father and dismissing the dependency and neglect action t<span></span>herefore </div> <div>belie motherâs claim that the child was at âimminent riskâ f<span></span>or </div> <div>out<span>-</span>of<span>-home placement. </span> </div> <div>¶ 15<span> <span>In any case, the juvenile court found that âthe [Departmentâs] </span></span> </div> <div>efforts in this case were extraordinaryâ and were âway ab<span></span>ove and </div> <div>beyond what is reasonable or expected.â<span> <span>The record supports t<span></span>he </span></span> </div> <div>courtâs reasonable<span>-efforts findings. The Department devis<span></span>ed a </span> </div> <div>treatment plan for mother and assisted with transportation .<span></span> The </div> <div>caseworker testified that the Department established âa signif<span></span>icant </div> <div>amount of servicesâ for mother, including many in her ho<span></span>me.<span> <span>The </span></span> </div> <div>Department also provided therapeutic family time because of the </div> <div>âhigh level of need for clinical supportâ.<span> <span>The Department modified </span></span> </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf8" data-page-no="8"> <div><div> <div>6 </div> <div>therapeutic family time at motherâs request to include recordings <span></span>of </div> <div>sessions, written feedback, and multiple supervisors. </div> <div>III.<span> <span>Reasonable Accommodations </span></span> </div> <div>¶ 16<span> </span><span>Mother next contends that the juvenile court failed t<span></span>o provide </span> </div> <div>reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilitie<span></span>s </div> <div>Act (ADA) because it denied her motion for in-home family time,<span></span> </div> <div>more than a year before the APR hearing. </div> <div>¶ 17<span> <span>But mother does not explain why any prior error in the <span></span>courtâs </span></span> </div> <div>order denying her requested accommodation warrants a <span></span>reversal of </div> <div>the APR judgment now. </div> <div>¶ 18<span> </span><span>Recall that mother filed a competing APR motion. The <span></span>juvenile </span> </div> <div>court noted that the âissues that were at play as part of <span></span>the </div> <div>dependency and neglect caseâ were not necessarily the same âissu<span></span>es </div> <div>[that] impact the [courtâs] analysisâ in deciding competing APR </div> <div>motions.<span> <span>The court found that mother consistently asked for her </span></span> </div> <div>own APR to enter, despite newly asserting during the APR he<span></span>aring </div> <div>that the case should be kept open to provide additional service<span></span>s.<span> </span> </div> <div>Accordingly, the court found that evidence about whether th<span>e </span> </div> <div>Department complied with the ADA during the depe<span></span>ndency and </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pf9" data-page-no="9"> <div><div> <div>7 </div> <div>neglect action wasnât relevant to its determination of which <span></span>of the </div> <div>proposed APRs should enter. </div> <div>¶ 19<span> <span>We agree with the juvenile courtâs analysis.<span> </span></span></span> </div> <div>¶ 20<span> </span><span>To be sure, under the ADA, both the Department and the </span> </div> <div>juvenile court must provide reasonable accommodations t<span></span>o a parent </div> <div>with a qualifying disability when providing services to that <span></span>parent. </div> <div>42 U.S.C. § <span>12132 (âno qualified individual with a disability shall,<span></span> </span> </div> <div>by reason of such disability, be excluded from partic<span></span>ipation in or be </div> <div>denied the benefits of the services . . . of a public entity,<span></span> or be </div> <div>subjected to discriminationâ); <span>see also<span> 42 U.S.C. § 12102 (defining </span></span> </div> <div>âdisabilityâ under the ADA); 42 U.S.C. <span>§ 12131</span>(2) (defining âpublic </div> <div>entityâ and âqualified individualâ under the ADA).<span> </span> </div> <div>¶ 21<span> <span>Additionally, â[a] parentâs disability alone must not serve as a </span></span> </div> <div>basis for denial or restriction of parenting time or parental </div> <div>responsibilitiesâ in APR judgments issued through depen<span></span>dency and </div> <div>neglect actions, except where the health and welfare of the <span></span>child are </div> <div>impacted. § <span>24</span><span>-<span>34</span></span>-805(2)(a)(III), C.R.S. 2024. </div> <div>¶ 22<span> </span><span>While a juvenile court must consider whether a department </span> </div> <div>provided reasonable accommodations when determining if<span></span> a </div> <div>department provided reasonable efforts to a parent,<span></span> a </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pfa" data-page-no="a"> <div> <img alt="" src="https://icbg.s3.amazonaws.com/media/MME/7E6/MME7E6lP6eopkJpoREW3/GSFEioA3SETl4roos8Xu8RKw%3D?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIA5PHC3MTPVUW63MDE&Expires=1728680587&Signature=o6DOIsZuuSZagSBTo7gdFfwf%2FrM%3D&x-amz-security-token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEDwaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJIMEYCIQDYG88ugu%2BOG6p%2F7zMM%2FVHyCDVgNMHmYnd9oIYGU8XDiAIhAIyUaRwThLye4IGjjf62NBJ6%2Fn19spB38YJxNMbOwbT4KroFCJX%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEQABoMOTI2MDQxMjAzOTM1Igy%2Fxe6MQLdbqJvtgCcqjgVVPR%2F65J0jXCWkurUGFJwG8pgsYUElYvMAGkPyfgawSAWa1ZuPBKwjr9NfsLH6RrC6xgMiRGy95s%2BHm6yp6jlGx5e5M6u06Wg6Tet1VcBtxJ7e1sMzn8hxBijF9bLuVB6v0s4IWD%2BrCEr9pk0trb3z0wEKj25Jbe44JTSOcc6nXHeXjUlrvEnc2yZUg%2BGN%2FdSPnpZaLt9OHv7f%2FGQNHB2yqE%2FNPaLesgSdbUOWeNNkaiGmjI5XkgqPa7LHP9GsDiSq%2BGDhKPwIw5xBxfF4wP0yLZX%2FB6XNhf%2FbidEJp7IdUGU6%2BwCOPxKoD2%2BnUIFSyD1c3Xd51jRs4kGnK8zRyMoOfDdY8%2FkkNBWnKLn1xaIQvHvgOZV2KWNeBzUj2xvokjsTbehFhl6xZzdtG2MFJa5CgJ%2FmUGEO2tVWmVq%2F58Aegb2%2BYe%2BLDPdoCsvbmQOTF6Wz1mq2BDesH2b0Fy8EPuvVT7ThA2YeDabFo%2FgSapi%2BjIWshk9uRMXigipm3SBOel85T428NsZNGM98v4tuERAgmGbQ5B2iQ96tX5qJ2hCzkPhXca%2BNJz%2FlG8gmffmo%2Fbd1fckQzEaZRWS90N1qm1psKJcggYDms02XvvgupwMG%2F3svlQdVWULAvS6Mt%2FNAPLp67Ie89NUMm1iYgKdH64ERXdBBNFjvyvmGLSRCnJWoFrdrRbPvDLYm%2BU0icuHSSKjvmWjWndg3xov40f5%2Fkg7MUT4KRkAUE3haBT2gXjPrXK0hGci0882mj%2BzR67PHstXqZ4W8k1EaqJ1a%2FG5IisjOwFId%2FW8S4lk0b90CrBWOWdQwJJjmy%2BRQpzLVKm%2F0yt%2FCqqPPqQr0YSPv6jkqUVmlvkLigWLzIekn9ym6MTMw9vmluAY6sAHWSqvpjLi%2BmIqidJ8owaWPpUWJHzyaCeXX965wI%2BTs2gpYnz2Qv8GdIkBZ%2FNF5IOj0VFAfS87tXpf6FQA4hD3fBAK3un0fHdgNs78buGxRFKc1EEQ6RcnTIAfhGlLWdSuNxwjXz0yDkJdxPb2EtCDHs13AE6txwmld3xBDhiMXqrYPjue%2FpJ5nL8Y8%2FjsZjY0iJKqPFk%2Be8a7dtoSO2JcHljrG%2FpdPuJ5OaZiqg%2BDabQ%3D%3D"><div> <div>8 </div> <div>reasonable-efforts finding was not required here because, as </div> <div>discussed above, the child remained with father throughout t<span></span>he </div> <div>case, she was not at imminent risk of removal, and the court </div> <div>allocated responsibilities between mother and father, rath<span></span>er than to </div> <div>a nonparent. <span>See People in Interest of S.K.</span>,
2019 COA 36, <span></span>¶ 34; <span>see </span> </div> <div>also <span>§§ <span>19<span>-1-103(114), 19-3-100.5(1), 19-3-208(1), 19-3-604(<span></span>2)(h); </span></span></span> </div> <div>cf. A.S.L.<span>, ¶ 20. Thus, we agree with the juvenile court that wheth<span></span>er </span> </div> <div>the Department provided reasonable accommodations w<span>asnât </span> </div> <div>relevant to its analysis related to entering an APR to a parent<span></span>. </div> <div>¶ 23<span> <span>More importantly, mother doesnât claim that the APR </span></span> </div> <div>judgment unduly restricted her parenting time or parent<span></span>al </div> <div>responsibilities, runs afoul of other state or federal directives </div> <div>concerning the ADA, or is in any way deficient. Absent such a </div> <div>showing, motherâs<span> request to vacate the APR judgment <span></span>because of </span> </div> <div>any error in denying a request for ADA accommodations du<span></span>ring the </div> <div>dependency and neglect must fail. <span>See </span>C.R.C.P. 61; <span>see also People </span> </div> <div>in Interest of C.C.<span>,
2022 COA 81, ¶ 20 (alleged errors not <span></span>affecting </span> </div> <div>the substantial rights of a party are harmless). </div> <div>IV.<span> </span><span>Disposition </span> </div> <div>¶ 24<span> </span><span>The judgment is affirmed. </span> </div> </div> </div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> <div id="pfb" data-page-no="b"> <div><div> <div>9 </div> <div>JUDGE WELLING and JUDGE BROWN concur. </div> </div></div> <div data-data='{"ctm":[1.277778,0.000000,0.000000,1.277778,0.000000,0.000000]}'></div> </div> </div></div></div></div>
Document Info
Docket Number: 24CA0316
Filed Date: 10/10/2024
Precedential Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 10/11/2024