In the Matter of A.W. (Minor Child), Child Alleged to be a Child in Need of Services J.W. (Mother) and J.B. (Father) v. Indiana Department of Child Services (mem. dec.) ( 2019 )

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be
FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Apr 18 2019, 9:25 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
Indiana Supreme Court
the defense of res judicata, collateral Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT – ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
FATHER Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Danielle Sheff Attorney General of Indiana
Sheff Law Office
Indianapolis, Indiana Natalie F. Weiss
Deputy Attorney General
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT – Indianapolis, Indiana
MOTHER
Danielle L. Gregory
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
In the Matter of A.W. (Minor April 18, 2019
Child), Child Alleged to be a Court of Appeals Case No.
Child in Need of Services; 18A-JC-2762
J.W. (Mother) and J.B. (Father), Appeal from the Marion Superior
Court
Appellants-Respondents,
The Honorable Marilyn A.
v. Moores, Judge
The Honorable Jennifer J. Hubartt,
Indiana Department of Child Magistrate
Services, Trial Court Cause No.
49D09-1806-JC-1519
Appellee-Petitioner.
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Najam, Judge.
Statement of the Case
[1] J.W. (“Mother”) and J.B. (“Father”) separately appeal the trial court’s
adjudication of their minor child, A.W. (“Child”), as a child in need of services
(“CHINS”). Mother and Father each present a single issue for our review,
which we consolidate and restate as whether the trial court erred when it
adjudicated Child to be a CHINS.
[2] We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[3] Mother has three children: C.W., born February 9, 2009; B.W., born March
26, 2012; and Child, born October 15, 2013, (collectively, “the Children”).
Father, who is not married to Mother, is Child’s father, but he is not the father
of B.W. or C.W. On May 8, 2018, the Indiana Department of Child Services
(“DCS”) received a report that the Children, who were in Mother’s care, were
victims of neglect. Specifically, the report stated that Mother had been
homeless since December and that she had been staying with Father, but that
Father had kicked them out “due to domestic violence between the two.”
Father’s App. Vol. II at 18.
[4] DCS Family Case Manager (“FCM”) Christi Carvajal went to Mother’s
residence to conduct an assessment of the Children. At that time, Mother was
living at her mother’s house. But Mother told FCM Carvajal that she could no
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longer live there and that she was going to stay at a friend’s house. Mother
placed C.W. and B.W. with their father, and she placed Child with Father
while Mother stayed with her friend. A few days later, Mother picked Child up
from Father’s house and took Child with her to stay at Mother’s aunt’s house.
[5] Thereafter, Mother told FCM Carvajal that she needed assistance finding a
shelter for her and Child. FCM Carvajal attempted to find a shelter for Mother
and Child, but the shelters were full. FCM Carvajal then contacted the
Children’s Bureau Family Support Center, which offered respite care for Child
for the weekend. Mother declined the offer because she “didn’t want to be
away from her child on Mother’s Day weekend.” Tr. Vol. II at 29. FCM
Carvajal then found a shelter for Mother, and Child continued to reside at
Mother’s aunt’s house.
[6] Thereafter, on May 30, DCS received another report that Mother had been
involved in multiple domestic violence incidents with Father. Specifically, the
report indicated that, on May 26, Father had punched and kicked Mother in the
face and stomach, which caused Mother to go to the emergency room. The
report also indicated that Father had again hit Mother while they were at the
hospital. The report further stated that, when Mother later went to Father’s
house to gather some of her things, Father “pulled a gun on her and [A.W.].”
Father’s App. Vol. II at 19.
[7] As a result of the second report, FCM Carvajal spoke with Mother on the
phone. Mother informed FCM Carvajal that she no longer wanted to
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participate in the assessment, and FCM Carvajal concluded the assessment.
DCS had concerns regarding Mother’s homelessness and instability for the
Children. Accordingly, on June 1, DCS removed the Children from Mother’s
care and placed C.W. and B.W. with their father due to “them already being
there,” and, because Child was already with Mother’s aunt, DCS “went ahead
and left her there.” Tr. Vol. II at 31. On June 4, DCS filed a petition in which
it alleged that the Children were CHINS due to Mother’s history of unstable
housing and homelessness, Mother’s refusal to accept and utilize resources, and
the reports of domestic violence between Mother and Father. The trial court
held a detention hearing on June 4. After the hearing, the trial court placed
C.W. and B.W. with their father, and the court placed Child with Father on a
trial basis contingent upon Father not allowing Mother to be at his residence.
The court then ordered Mother not to go to Father’s house.
[8] On August 17, Officer Nicholas Snow with the Indianapolis Metropolitan
Police Department responded to a call near Father’s residence in order to
perform a welfare check on a woman. When Officer Snow arrived, he found
Mother walking around the neighborhood. Officer Snow observed that Mother
was “extremely distraught.” Id. at 8. Officer Snow further observed that
Mother’s “face was swollen” and that it “looked like she had been in an
altercation of some kind.” Id. Mother told Officer Snow that she had been
involved in a domestic violence incident with Father, who was her “live-in
boyfriend.” Id. Mother then informed Officer Snow of the type of vehicle that
Father drives.
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[9] After Officer Snow talked with Mother, he searched the area in an attempt to
find Father. Officer Snow was able to locate Father’s car, and he identified
Father as the sole occupant of the vehicle. At that point, Officer Snow searched
Father’s vehicle and discovered a digital scale. Officer Snow then searched
Father’s home and found a plastic bat and some metal piping that Mother said
had been used during the battery. He also discovered marijuana in plain view
in one of the bedrooms. Officer Snow did not observe any of the Children in
the car or in Father’s house. Officers arrested Father and Mother. 1 Once
Officer Snow detained Father, Father told Officer Snow that Mother was his
girlfriend and that “she stays at the residence quite frequently.” Id. at 13. As a
result of Mother’s and Father’s arrests, DCS took Child into custody and placed
her into foster care.
[10] Thereafter, DCS put referrals in place for Mother and Father to participate in
home-based case work and for Mother to participate in home-based therapy.
Additionally, “due to the alleged domestic violence incident,” DCS also put in
a referral for both Mother and Father to participate in a domestic violence
assessment. Id. at 42. However, FCM Swygert had to put in new referrals for
Mother to participate in home-based case work and home-based therapy
because Mother “got hysterical with the providers and . . . fired them[.]” Id. at
1
Mother and Father were both released a few hours later, and no charges were filed against them.
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40. Further, Father’s referrals were closed due to Father’s failure to respond to
providers. DCS did not recommend any services for B.W. and C.W.’s father.
[11] In mid-September, Mother told FCM Swygert that she had leased a house.
Thereafter, Nikita King, a home-based case worker, went to Mother’s home in
order to conduct an inspection. When King entered the home, she observed
that there was no stove, no refrigerator, no beds for the Children, no smoke
detectors, and no food in the home.
[12] The trial court held a fact-finding hearing on the CHINS petition on September
24. During that hearing, DCS presented as evidence the testimony of Officer
Snow, FCM Carvajal, FCM Swygert, and King. FCM Swygert testified that
she had concerns with the Children living with Mother because Mother needed
housing and financial security. She further testified that she had concerns with
Child living with Father because Father had disregarded the trial court’s order
and allowed Mother to stay at his house. She also testified that she had
concerns with both Mother and Father due to their history of domestic
violence.
[13] King also testified at the fact-finding hearing. King testified that Mother “had
requested that [they] stop Home Based Case work services” because “she could
do it all on her own.” Id. at 53. However, King further testified that, based on
her observations of Mother’s home a few days prior to the fact-finding hearing,
the house was not safe or secure for minor children.
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[14] At the conclusion of the fact-finding hearing, the court adjudicated Child to be
a CHINS, but the court found that C.W. and B.W. were not CHINS and placed
them in the custody of their father. The trial court then entered findings of fact
and conclusions thereon. Specifically, the trial court found as follows:
14. Mother told Officer Snow that she was in a physical
altercation with [Father] on 8/17/18.
***
26. Mother’s testimony was not credible during the fact finding
hearing when she denied that any domestic violence had ever
occurred between she and [Father].
***
32. [Father’s] testimony was not credible during the fact finding
hearing when he denied that any domestic violence had ever
occurred between he and [M]other.
***
48. Mother told FCM Swygert that she was homeless at the
outset of the case. During the week of 9/17/18, [M]other told
FCM Swygert that she had obtained housing. During the week
of 9/17/18, the home based case manager did a home study at
[M]other’s home and noted that she did not have appliances,
such as a refrigerator, in the home.
49. FCM Swygert had relayed to both [M]other and [Father]
that DCS will provide a domestic violence assessment for both
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[M]other and [Father], however, they have declined to
participate in the same.
50. FCM Swygert provided home based case management to
[Father], however the service was unsuccessfully closed due to a
lack of participation by [Father].
***
55. Mother requested that Ms. King discontinue homebased case
management because [M]other believed that she could access any
services or concrete needs that she had on her own.
56. Ms. King attempted to assist [M]other with employment and
housing. Mother lacked stable employment while Ms. King
worked with her and started and ended several jobs in that time
period.
***
59. On 9/18/18, Ms. King observed [M]other’s home to lack
appliances, food, furnishings, and utilities and to be inadequate
for the [C]hildren.
Father’s App. Vol. II at 98-102. Based on those findings, the trial court
concluded that Child’s physical or mental condition is seriously impaired or
endangered “as a result of her parents’ inability, refusal, or neglect to provide
the child with a safe and stable home environment, free from exposure to
domestic violence, and with adequate parental care and supervision.” Id. at
103. The court further concluded that Child needs a safe and stable home
environment, “which she is unlikely to receive without the coercive
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intervention of the Court.” Id. Thereafter, on October 22, the trial court issued
its dispositional order in which it ordered both Mother and Father to participate
in services. This appeal ensued.
Discussion and Decision
[15] Mother and Father both contend that the trial court erred when it adjudicated
Child to be a CHINS. 2 Our Supreme Court recently set out our standard of
review:
When reviewing a trial court’s CHINS determination, we do not
reweigh evidence or judge witness credibility. In re S.D., 2
N.E.3d 1283, 1286 (Ind. 2014). “Instead, we consider only the
evidence that supports the trial court’s decision and [the]
reasonable inferences drawn therefrom.” Id. at 1287 (citation,
brackets, and internal quotation marks omitted). When a trial
court supplements a CHINS judgment with findings of fact and
conclusions law, we apply a two-tiered standard of review. We
consider, first, “whether the evidence supports the findings” and,
second, “whether the findings support the judgment.” Id.(citation omitted). We will reverse a CHINS determination only
if it was clearly erroneous. In re K.D., 962 N.E.2d 1249, 1253
(Ind. 2012). A decision is clearly erroneous if the record facts do
not support the findings or “if it applies the wrong legal standard
to properly found facts.” Yanoff v. Muncy, 688 N.E.2d 1259, 1262
(Ind. 1997) (citation omitted).
2
On appeal, Father asserts that the trial court’s findings 3, 8, and 20 are not supported by the evidence. And
both Father and Mother assert that finding number 51 is not supported by the evidence. However, we
conclude that those portions of the trial court’s findings are immaterial to the court’s judgment. Accordingly,
we need not address whether any of those findings are supported by the evidence.
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Gr. J. v. Ind. Dep’t. of Child Servs. (In re D.J.), 68 N.E.3d 574, 577-78 (Ind. 2017)
(alterations in original).
[16] “A CHINS proceeding focuses on the best interests of the children, not the
‘guilt or innocence’ of either parent.” M.P. v. Ind. Dep’t of Child Servs. (In re
D.P.), 72 N.E.3d 976, 980 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017). “Because a CHINS
determination regards the status of the child, a separate analysis as to each
parent is not required in the CHINS determination stage.” N.L. v. Ind. Dep’t of
Child Servs. (In re N.E.), 919 N.E.2d 102, 106 (Ind. 2010). Indeed, “the conduct
of one parent can be enough for a child to be adjudicated a CHINS.” Id.[17] DCS alleged that Child was a CHINS pursuant to Indiana Code Section 31-34-
1-1 (2018), which provides that a child is a child in need of services if, before the
child becomes eighteen years of age: (1) the child’s physical or mental
condition is seriously impaired or seriously endangered as a result of the
inability, refusal, or neglect of the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian to
supply the child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education,
or supervision; and (2) the child needs care, treatment, or rehabilitation that:
(A) the child is not receiving; and (B) is unlikely to be provided or accepted
without the coercive intervention of the court. Our Supreme Court has
interpreted this provision to require “three basic elements: that the parent’s
actions or inactions have seriously endangered the child, that the child’s needs
are unmet, and (perhaps most critically) that those needs are unlikely to be met
without State coercion.” J.B. v. Ind. Dep’t. of Child. Serv. (In re S.D.), 2 N.E.3d
1283, 1287 (Ind. 2014).
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[18] In the present case, DCS alleged that Child is a CHINS due to issues of
domestic violence between Mother and Father. On appeal, Mother contends
that the trial court erred when it adjudicated Child a CHINS based on the
domestic violence because “there was no evidence the parents engaged in any
single act of domestic violence in the presence of [Child].” Mother’s Br. at 24.
Similarly, Father asserts that the trial court erred when it adjudicated Child a
CHINS because Child was not present “during the incident when Mother and
[Father] were arrested[.]” Father’s Br. at 16. We must agree with both Mother
and Father.
[19] We acknowledge that “a child’s exposure to domestic violence can support a
CHINS finding.” In re D.P. 72 N.E.3d at 984 (quotation marks omitted).
However, where there is no evidence that domestic violence ever occurred in
the child’s presence, “there is no evidence as to the impact of the incident” on
the child. Id. Here, the only evidence DCS presented at the fact-finding
hearing regarding domestic violence between Mother and Father was evidence
that Mother had reported to Officer Snow that Father had hit her on August 17.
And the undisputed evidence demonstrates that Child was not present when the
incident occurred. Because Child was not present, DCS did not present any
evidence as to the actual impact, if any, of the incident on Child. While
domestic violence is a serious issue, we cannot say that one instance of
domestic violence between Mother and Father outside of Child’s presence
supports the trial court’s determination that Child is a CHINS.
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[20] Still, in its Appellees’ Briefs, DCS relies on information contained in the
predispositional report to support its contention that Child is a CHINS due to
multiple instances of domestic violence between Mother and Father. In the
predispositional report, DCS indicated that it had received a report that
indicated Father had hit and kicked Mother on several prior occasions,
including once in the presence of Child. However, the claims in the report to
DCS were merely allegations of domestic violence. DCS did not present any
evidence at the fact-finding hearing to substantiate those claims or to otherwise
demonstrate that Father and Mother had been involved in any other act of
domestic violence apart from the August 17, 2018, instance. As discussed
above, the only evidence DCS presented regarding domestic violence was the
one instance in which Father hit Mother outside the presence of Child, which is
not enough to support the CHINS adjudication.
[21] However, DCS did not allege that Child is a CHINS only because of issues with
domestic violence. DCS also alleged that Child was a CHINS based on
Mother’s homelessness, housing instability, and unsafe housing conditions.
But, on appeal, Mother contends that the trial court erred when it adjudicated
Child to be a CHINS based on her housing situation because, by the time of the
fact-finding hearing, she had “obtained housing without the assistance of”
DCS. Mother’s Br. at 24. She further contends that, as of the date of the fact-
finding hearing, her home had food, working appliances, and smoke detectors.
And Father asserts that the trial court erred when it adjudicated Child a CHINS
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because there was no evidence that Child was “adversely or negatively affected”
by Mother’s housing instability. Father’s Br. at 16.
[22] But we must agree with DCS that the evidence most favorable to the trial
court’s judgment supports its conclusion that Mother’s home was not a safe and
stable environment for Child. Indeed, King testified that, as of the Tuesday
before the fact-finding hearing, Mother’s house had no stove, no refrigerator, no
smoke detectors, no bed for Child, and no food in the home. Based on her
observations, King testified that Mother’s house was not a safe and secure place
for minor children. Moreover, Mother does not dispute that, throughout the
CHINS proceedings, she lacked housing stability. Because Mother’s home was
not safe for Child, we cannot say that the trial court erred when it found that
Mother had not provided Child with a safe and stable home environment.
Mother’s and Father’s contentions on appeal are simply requests for this court
to reweigh the evidence, which we cannot do. See In re D.J., 68 N.E.3d at 577.
[23] Still, Mother contends that, “[e]ven if this Court determines the findings were
supported by the evidence, [DCS] did not prove Mother required the coercive
intervention of the court.” Mother’s Br. at 27. To support that additional
contention, Mother asserts that she “did not refuse to voluntarily participate in
services offered” by DCS. Id. at 28. However, Mother’s argument disregards
the evidence most favorable to the trial court’s judgment. During the fact-
finding hearing, FCM Swygert testified that she had recommended home-based
case work and home-based therapy services for Mother but that Mother had
“fired” her services providers. Tr. Vol. II at 40. Additionally, King testified
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that Mother stopped services because “she could do it all on her own.” Id. at
53. Accordingly, contrary to Mother’s assertions, the evidence indicates that
Mother did not voluntarily participate in the services DCS had offered.
[24] The evidence most favorable to the trial court’s judgment shows that Mother’s
house is not safe for Child and that Mother was not compliant with the services
that could assist her. The evidence supports the trial court’s findings that
Mother’s actions or inactions have seriously endangered the Child, that Child’s
needs are unmet, and that those needs are unlikely to be met without State
coercion. See In re S.D., 2 N.E.3d at 1287. And those findings support the trial
court’s judgment that Child is a CHINS. In light of the evidence most favorable
to the judgment, we cannot say that the trial court’s adjudication of Child as a
CHINS is clearly erroneous. 3 We affirm the trial court’s judgment.
[25] Affirmed.
Baker, J., and Robb, J., concur.
3
In his reply brief, Father asserts that FCM Swygert’s testimony “did not reveal that attempts had been
made to determine whether [Father] could adequately parent” Child. Father’s Reply Br. at 8. However,
again, “[b]ecause a CHINS determination regards the status of the child, a separate analysis as to each parent
is not required in the CHINS determination stage.” In re N.E., 919 N.E.2d at 106. Further, “the conduct of
one parent can be enough for a child to be adjudicated a CHINS.” Id. Accordingly, a separate analysis “as
to” Father is not required, and the trial court’s finding that Mother has an unsafe home supports its
determination that Child is a CHINS.
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