In Re The Welfare Of: N.m., A Minor Child ( 2014 )

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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF I[
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DIVISION II S' ' " E m`` A" 4' ON
In the Matter of the Welfare of: No. 45906 -0 -II BY
N.M.
PART PUBLISHED OPINION
A Minor Child.
WORSWICK, P. J. — H.M. is the mother of N.M., a child born in 2007. 1 H.M. appeals the
juvenile court' s order terminating her parental rights as to N.M. She argues that the juvenile court
abused its discretion by denying her motion to continue the juvenile termination trial in order to
attempt to establish a guardianship. She also argues that the Department of Social and Health
Services failed to meet its burden to prove that ( 1) all necessary services capable of remedying
parental deficiencies were offered or provided, (2) continuation of the parent and child relationship
clearly diminished the child' s prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent home,
and ( 3) termination of H. M.' s parental rights was in the child' s best interests. In the published
portion of this opinion, we hold that the juvenile court did not abuse its discretion by denying the
motion to continue the termination trial. In the unpublished portion of this opinion, we hold that
substantial evidence supports all of the juvenile court' s findings of fact on the challenged statutory
elements required for termination. Accordingly, we affirm.
FACTS
In October 2012, H.M. was arrested on an outstanding bench warrant. During her arrest,
drugs and a firearm were found in the home. At the time of H.M.' s arrest, N.M. was removed
from the home and placed in foster care. After approximately two months in foster care, N.M. was
1N. M.' s father, J. M., died in June 2010.
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placed in relative care with her paternal grandmother. In December 2012, the juvenile court
entered an agreed order of dependency, and also entered a dispositional order requiring H.M. to
engage in the following services: obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow all treatment
recommendations, obtain a psychological evaluation with a parenting component and follow all
recommendations, and submit to random urinalysis ( UA) testing.
Rion Tisino, the assigned social worker, referred H.M. to UA testing. H.M.' s first UA was
positive for opiates and morphine. H. M. failed to appear at the remaining UA tests. Ultimately,
the service provider terminated the service contract based on H.M.' s failure to participate.
Tisino also referred H.M. for a drug and alcohol evaluation. The drug and alcohol
evaluation recommended intensive outpatient treatment. H.M. did not enter or participate in drug
treatment until her subsequent incarceration on a drug conviction.
Tisino also referred H. M. for a psychological evaluation. H.M. failed to attend several
but she was able to complete the first portion of the evaluation. The
appointments, ultimately
second portion of the evaluation required observation of H.M. and N.M. together. This second
portion was not completed because the Department was unable to confirm an appointment with
H.M. and, as a result, could not coordinate transporting N.M. to the evaluation.
Overall, H.M.' s participation in the dependency was minimal. In June 2013, the
Department filed a petition for termination of H.M.' s parental rights. In September 2013, H.M.
was sentenced on another drug charge. H.M. received a drug offender sentencing alternative
DOSA) sentence. Her anticipated release date from incarceration is January 2015.
The termination trial was scheduled for January 22, 2014. On the day of the termination
trial, H.M.' s attorney moved to continue the hearing because he had not had a meaningful
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opportunity to communicate with H. M. He also stated that the continuance was necessary to
arrange for H.M. to appear by telephone from prison. The juvenile court granted the motion to
continue and the termination trial was rescheduled for January 28.
On January 28, H. M. requested a 90 -day continuance. H.M.' s attorney explained that he
had recently discussed with H.M. the potential for a guardianship with N.M.' s paternal
grandmother, and that H.M. wanted to pursue guardianship as an alternative to termination. The
Department opposed the motion. The Department argued that a guardianship had never been
identified as a potential permanency plan for N.M. and that it would be in N.M.' s best interests to
move forward with termination. Tisino stated that after H.M. raised the potential for a
guardianship, he discussed the option with N.M.' s grandmother and N.M.' s grandmother did not
seem interested in a guardianship. He also stated that he had planned on speaking to N.M.' s
grandmother about a final decision earlier that morning but that he had not been able to contact
her. The juvenile court denied the motion to continue and proceeded with the termination trial.
At the termination trial, Tisino testified to the above facts. He also testified that N.M.' s
grandmother was an adoptive placement and that the Department had completed an approved
adoption home study. He stated that N.M. had been placed with her grandmother for almost the
entire dependency and N.M. was thriving in her current environment. He also stated that N.M.
could not be adopted unless H.M.' s parental rights were terminated.
Shelley Knick, N.M.' s court appointed special advocate ( CASA), testified that N.M. was
doing extremely well in her current placement and that an adoptive permanent placement with her
grandmother was in N. M.' s best interests. She stated that she regularly talked to N.M. and that
N.M. consistently stated that " she would like to see her mommy more but she' s very happy staying
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with her grandma." 2 Report of Proceedings ( RP) at 67. H.M. asked Knick about a guardianship.
Knick testified that her understanding was that a guardianship was not as permanent as an adoption
because there was still the potential for the parent to regain custody of the child. She noted that
this was not in N.M.' s best interests because:
Right now, [ N.M.] gets confused when her mother makes commitments to her that
she' s not able to fulfill, and so there have been occasions where they' ve spoken and
she has promised her that she will be with her this summer. They' d be together
again, getting her hopes up quite a bit that those options are available to her and
that she might be coming home again. And every time that happens, then the child
goes through the considerable grief and loss again, for which she' s getting
counseling when her mom' s not able to fulfill that.
Her grandma has been consistent in all of her promises and her ability to
keep her promises, and I think that having that permanency would help her to accept
her current situation with an openness and really less expectation on her mother to
get well and demonstrate whatever she can in [ N.M.' s] life without expecting her
to some day return to her home and be cared for by her mom.
2RPat70.
H.M. testified that she had not properly dealt with her husband' s death.2 She stated that
she was currently in a drug treatment program in prison and that she was engaging in individual
therapy to deal with her grief and loss.
The juvenile court concluded that the Department had met its burden to prove all the
statutory elements for termination by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence. Specifically, the
juvenile court found that the Department had expressly and understandably offered and provided
all services but that H.M. had failed to avail herself of the services while she was in the community.
The juvenile court further found that H.M. was currently unfit because she was incarcerated and
had not finished drug treatment. And that there was little likelihood that conditions would be
2 H.M. testified at the termination trial by telephone from prison.
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No. 45906 -0 -II
remedied in the near future because she was not going to be released from incarceration for at least
a year and she had not availed herself of any services when they were offered by the Department.
As to whether the continuation of the parent and child relationship clearly diminished
N.M.' s prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent home, the juvenile court found
that the Department had met its burden because there was testimony establishing the child needed
permanency and that N.M. could not be adopted until H.M.' s parental rights were terminated. The
juvenile court entered an order terminating H.M.' s parental rights to N.M. H.M. appeals.
ANALYSIS
H.M. argues that the juvenile court abused its discretion by refusing to grant a continuance
to allow H.M. to confirm whether N.M.' s grandmother would be willing to serve as H.M.' s
guardian.3 We disagree. The juvenile court did not abuse its discretion in denying H.M.' s motion
for a continuance, and the Department met its burden to prove all of the challenged elements for
termination. Accordingly, we affirm the order terminating H.M.' s parental rights to N.M.
I. MOTION To CONTINUE
H.M. argues that, under our recent decision in In re Welfare ofR.H., 176 Wash. App. 419,
309 P.3d 620 ( 2013), the juvenile court erred by denying H.M.' s motion to continue because
evidence of a guardianship is material evidence in a termination trial. However, as we explained
in R.H.,terminations are fact specific and must be decided on a case by case basis. R.H., 176 Wn.
App. at 429. Therefore, denying a continuance sought for the purpose of exploring a guardianship
is not a per se reversible error. Here, the juvenile court did not abuse its discretion because ( 1)
3 We address H.M.' s arguments regarding the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the trial
court' s order terminating her parental rights in the unpublished portion of this opinion.
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there was no identified guardian, and therefore there was no identified guardianship; and ( 2) the
juvenile court' s decision was reasonable considering the totality of the circumstances.
It is well-established that parents have a fundamental liberty and privacy interest in the care
and custody of their children. Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 753, 102 S. Ct. 1388, 71 L. Ed.
2d 599 ( 1982). And because of the constitutional rights at stake in a termination proceeding, " due
process requires that parents have the ability to present all relevant evidence for the juvenile court
to consider prior to terminating a parent' s rights." R. H., 176 Wn. App. at 426. In R. H., we held
that this due process right applied to motions to continue a termination trial in order for parents to
establish an alternative to termination. R.H., 176 Wash. App. at 428 -29. We held that the trial court
abuses its discretion if it violates a parent' s substantive due process right to present material
evidence by denying the parent' s motion to continue. R. H., 176 Wash. App. at 428 -29. We did not,
however, hold that as a matter of law, it will always be error for the juvenile court to deny a motion
to continue which is sought to allow parents time to explore alternatives to termination. Therefore,
we must review each case on a fact specific basis to determine if (1) the evidence the parent sought
to admit was material and (2) the trial court manifestly abused its discretion by denying the motion
to continue. If the trial court abused its discretion, we must determine whether the parent' s
procedural due process rights were violated because the error was prejudicial.
We review a decision to deny a continuance for a manifest abuse of discretion. In re
573, 580 -81, 141 P.3d 85 ( 2006). Under a manifest abuse
Dependency of V.R. R., 134 Wn. App.
of discretion standard, "[ t]he trial court' s decision will be affirmed unless no reasonable judge
would have reached the same conclusion." In re Marriage of Landry, 103 Wash. 2d 807, 809 -10,
699 P.2d 214 ( 1985). When determining whether to grant a continuance, the juvenile court must
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consider "`` diligence, due process, the need for an orderly procedure, the possible effect on the trial,
and whether prior continuances were granted. ' R.H., 176 Wash. App. at 424 -25 ( quoting V.R.1?.,
134 Wn. App. at 581). " Denial of a motion to continue violates due process if the parent can show
either prejudice by the denial or the result of the trial would likely have been different if the
continuance was granted. ' R. H., 176 Wn. App. at 425 ( quoting V.R. R., 134 Wash. App. at 581).
H.M. argues that the juvenile court manifestly abused its discretion because, based on R.H.,
evidence of a guardianship is material to whether the Department can meet its burden to prove
either means of satisfying RCW 13. 34. 180( 1)( f). However, in R. H. our holding was clear: " an
identified guardianship is material...." 176 Wn. App. at 423 ( emphasis added). Our decision in
R.H. does not hold that atrial court' s refusal to continue a termination trial to allow a parent to
explore the possibility of a guardianship is per se a manifest abuse of discretion. R. H stressed the
need for an identified guardianship before the evidence becomes material.
H.M. argues that there was an identified guardianship because N.M.' s grandmother was an
identified permanent placement, N.M. was placed with her grandmother, and the Department had
completed an adoption home study. However, N.M.' s grandmother had never agreed to or
expressed interest in entering a guardianship rather than an adoption. This is opposite of the
situation that existed in R. H In R. H. the children' s aunt had come forward and requested to enter
into a guardianship for the children. 176 Wn. App. at 423. At the time of trial, the Department
had been unable to complete the aunt' s home study and establish the placement. R.H., 176 Wn.
App. at 423. H.M. asks us to hold that a permanent placement with possible potential to be a
guardianship is the same as a potential guardian that has not yet become a stable, potentially
permanent placement. We decline to do so. An " identified guardianship" requires at a minimum,
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an identified guardian. Because there was not an identified guardianship, H.M. was not denied her
due process right to present material evidence. Therefore, we review the additional factors such
as diligence and the effect on proceedings to determine whether the trial court manifestly abused
its discretion.
Here, there are issues regarding diligence and a possible effect on proceedings that were
not present in R. H. In R. H.,the father requested a continuance one month before trial because he
had successfully identified a guardian for the children, but the Department had failed to complete
a home study or transition the children into the placement. 176 Wn. App. at 423. Accordingly,
the delay in R. H. was not a result of the father' s failure to diligently pursue a guardianship as an
alternative to termination, but rather, the circumstances surrounding the logistics of the placement.
In contrast, here, H.M. had failed to confirm that N.M.' s grandmother was willing to be a
guardianship placement despite the fact that N.M. had been placed with her grandmother for most
of the dependency. And the juvenile court had previously granted a continuance to allow H.M.' s
attorney additional time to prepare the case.
Even under R. H. ,the right to present evidence of a guardianship is not absolute. Where
the failure to establish the evidence of a guardianship is due to lack of diligence or a failure to take
advantage of prior continuances, the juvenile court does not manifestly abuse its discretion by
denying the motion to continue. Because the juvenile court did not manifestly abuse its discretion • •
H. M.' s to do to reach the issue of prejudice. We hold
by denying motion continue, we not need
that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying H.M.' s motion to continue the
termination trial.
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A majority of the panel having determined that only the foregoing portion of this opinion
will be printed in the Washington Appellate Reports and that the remainder shall be filed for public
record in accordance with RCW 2. 06. 040, it is so ordered.
II. ELEMENTS OF TERMINATION
H. M. argues that the Department failed to prove that ( 1) all necessary services were
expressly and understandably offered or provided because the second portion of a, psychological
evaluation was not completed, ( 2) continuation of the parent and child relationship clearly
diminished N.M.' s prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent home, and ( 3)
termination was in N.M.' s best interests. 4 We disagree.
We review an order of termination to determine whether substantial evidence supports the
juvenile court' s findings of fact. In re the Welfare ofSego, 82 Wash. 2d 736, 739 -40, 513 P.2d 831
1973). Substantial evidence exists when there is evidence sufficient to persuade a fair -minded
rational person of the truth of the declared premise. Bering v. SHARE, 106 Wash. 2d 212, 220, 721
P.2d 918 ( 1986), cert. dismissed, 479 U.S. 1050 ( 1987). We do not make credibility
determinations or weigh evidence. Sego, 82 Wash. 2d at 739 -40. In termination proceedings, the
juvenile court has the advantage of having the witnesses before it, and therefore, we give deference
to the juvenile court' s decision. In re the Welfare ofAschauer, 93 Wash. 2d 689, 695, 611 P.2d 1245
1980).
4 In her briefing H.M. assigns error to the trial court' s finding that H.M. was in default. However,
H.M. offers no argument of authority to support this assignment of error. RAP 10. 3( a)( 6).
default.
Therefore, we do not consider any issue related to the trial court' s finding that H. M. was in
No. 45906 -0 -II
The juvenile court may order termination of a parent' s rights as to his or her child if the
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Department establishes the six elements in RCW 13. 34. 180( 1)( a) through ( f) by clear, cogent, and
convincing evidence. Clear, cogent and convincing evidence exists when the ultimate fact at issue
is shown to be " highly probable." Sego, 82 Wash. 2d at 739 ( quoting Supove v. Densmoor, 225 Or.
365, 372, 358 P.2d 510 ( 1961)). The Department also must prove by a preponderance of the
evidence that termination of parental rights is in the child' s best interests. RCW 13. 34. 190( 1)( b).
5 RCW 13. 34. 180( 1) states:
A petition seeking termination of a parent and child relationship may be filed in
juvenile court by any party, including the supervising agency, to the dependency
proceedings concerning that child. Such petition shall conform to the requirements
of RCW 13. 34. 040, shall be served upon the parties as provided in RCW
13. 34. 070( 8), and shall allege all of the following unless subsection ( 2) or ( 3) of
this section applies:
a) That the child has been found to be a dependent child;
b) That the court has entered a dispositional order pursuant to RCW
13. 34. 130;
c) That the child has been removed or will, at the time of the hearing, have
been removed from the custody of the parent for a period of at least six months
pursuant to a finding of dependency;
d) That the services ordered under RCW 13. 34. 136 have been expressly
and understandably offered or provided and all necessary services, reasonably
available, capable of correcting the parental deficiencies within the foreseeable
future have been expressly and understandably offered or provided;
e) That there is little likelihood that conditions will be remedied so that the
child can be returned to the parent in the near future. A parent' s failure to
substantially improve parental deficiencies within twelve months following entry
of the dispositional order shall give rise to a rebuttable presumption that there is
little likelihood that conditions will be remedied so that the child can be returned to
the parent in the near future. The presumption shall not arise unless the petitioner
makes a showing that all necessary services reasonably capable of correcting
parental deficiencies within the foreseeable future have been clearly offered or
provided... .
f) That continuation of the parent and child relationship clearly diminishes
the child' s prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent home.
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A. Necessary Services
Before terminating parental rights, the Department must prove that " the services ordered
under RCW 13. 34. 136 have been expressly and understandably offered or provided and all
necessary services, reasonably available, capable of correcting the parental deficiencies within the
foreseeable future have been expressly and understandably offered or provided." RCW
13. 34. 180( 1)( d). Even if the Department " inexcusably fails" to offer services to a willing parent,
termination is still appropriate if the services " would not have remedied the parent' s deficiencies
in the foreseeable future." In re Dependency of T.R., 108 Wash. App. 149, 164, 29 P.3d 1275 ( 2001)
citing In re the Welfare ofHall, 99 Wash. 2d 842, 850 -51, 664 P.2d 1245 ( 1983)).
H.M. argues that the Department failed to meet its burden to prove that all necessary
services were expressly and understandably offered or provided because the Department failed to
facilitate the completion of the second part of H.M.' s court ordered psychological evaluation.
Here, the failure to complete the psychological evaluation was not due to the Department' s failure
to offer the service, rather it was due to H.M.' s failure to cooperate with the Department and the
service provider. Tisino testified that it would be inappropriate to transport the child from
Clarkston, where the child lives, to Tacoma (which is approximately 320 miles) without being able
to confirm an appointment with H.M. Considering H.M.' s multiple failures to attend service
appointments, not just for the psychological evaluation but also for UA tests and drug treatment,
as well as H.M.' s failure to regularly communicate with Tisino, the Department did not fail to offer
the service by refusing to transport N.M. to the evaluation without H.M. having a confirmed
appointment.
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No. 45906 -0 -II
H. M. relies on In re Welfare of C.S., 168 Wash. 2d 51, 225 P.3d 953 ( 2010), and In re
Guardianship of K.B.F., 175 Wn. App. 140, 304 P.3d 909 ( 2013), to support her argument that the
Department inexcusably failed to offer necessary services, but her reliance on these cases is
misplaced. In K.B.F., the Department stopped providing the parent with services after the child' s
permanent plan changed to guardianship. 175 Wn. App. at 150. Here, the Department did not
completely stop offering services. Not only did H.M. have other services available to her at the
time, but the psychological evaluation would have been completed if H.M. had confirmed an
appointment and communicated with the Department. In C.S., the Department failed to offer the
mother services to handle the child' s special needs and then petitioned to terminate her parental
rights based exclusively on her inability to meet the child' s special needs. 168 Wash. 2d at 55 -56.
As explained above, the Department did not fail to offer services, and H.M.' s parental rights were
not terminated because of her failure to complete the psychological evaluation. Therefore, neither
C.S. nor KB.F. dictate the outcome of this case.
Substantial evidence supports the juvenile court' s finding that all necessary services
capable of correcting the parental deficiencies had been expressly and understandably offered or
provided. H.M.' s challenge on this issue fails.
B. Continuation of the Parent and Child Relationship
RCW 13. 34. 180( 0 requires the Department to prove that continuation of the parent and
child relationship clearly diminishes the child' s prospects for early integration into a stable and
permanent home. In R.H., we explained the two methods by which the Department may prove
RCW 13. 34. 180( 1)( 0:
The State can prove prospects for a permanent home exist but the parent -child
relationship prevents the child from obtaining that placement. See, e. g., [ In re
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Dependency of] A. C., 123 Wn. App. [ 244, 250, 98 P.3d 89 ( 2004)] ( " While a
detrimental personal relationship would not be irrelevant, [ RCW 13. 34. 180( 1)( f)]
is mainly concerned with the continued effect of the legal relationship between
parent and child, as an obstacle to adoption; it is especially a concern where children
have potential adoption resources. "). Alternatively, the State can prove the parent -
child relationship has a damaging and destabilizing effect on the child that would
negatively impact the child' s integration into any permanent and stable placement.
See, e. g., [ In re Dependency of] K.D.S., 176 Wn.2d [ 644, 659, 294 P.3d 695
2013)] ( continuation of the harmful parent -child relationship " diminishes the
likelihood K.D. S. will be emotionally and psychologically prepared to integrate
into a stable and permanent home should one become available. ").
176 Wash. App. at 428 ( some alterations in original).
H.M. argues that the Department failed to prove that continuation of the parent and child
relationship clearly diminished N.M.' s prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent
home because N.M. was already placed in a stable home with her grandmother. We disagree.
In In re Dependency ofA. V.D., 62 Wn. App. 562, 569, 815 P.2d 277 ( 1991), the father also
argued that the Department had failed to prove that continuation of the parent and child relationship
clearly diminished his child' s early integration into a stable and permanent home because the child
was in a stable placement with her maternal grandmother. As the court explained:
Although she is being cared for by a close relative, [ the child] is still a dependent
child in foster As long as she is in foster care, her living situation will by
care.
definition remain temporary. She will not have a permanent home until her parents
resume custody or their parental rights are terminated and she is adopted. Thus,
while [ the father' s] assertion that [ the child' s] placement with her grandmother is a
stable one is accurate, it does not undercut the trial court' s determination that
continuing his parental rights inhibits her ability to be integrated, as an adopted
child, into that home.
A. V.D. ,62 Wn. App. at 569 -70. The same is true here. Although N.M. is in a stable home, she is
not in a permanent one.
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Here, Tisino testified that N.M.' s grandmother was prepared to adopt her but adoption was
6
legally impossible until H.M.' s parental rights were terminated. Accordingly, substantial
evidence supports the juvenile court' s finding that continuation of the parent and child relationship
clearly diminishes N.M.' s early integration into a stable and permanent home.
C. Best Interests of the Child
After proving all six elements of RCW 13. 34. 180, the Department must prove by a
preponderance ofthe evidence that termination of parental rights is in the best interests of the child.
RCW 13. 34. 190( 1)( b); In re the Welfare ofA.J.R., 78 Wash. App. 222, 228, 896 P.2d 1298, review
denied, 127 Wash. 2d 1025 ( 1995). Although parents have a fundamental liberty interest in the care
and custody of their children, the paramount consideration in a termination proceeding is the
welfare of the children. In re Welfare of Young, 24 Wash. App. 392, 395, 600 P.2d 1312 ( 1979),
review denied, 93 Wash. 2d 1005 ( 1980). Children have the right to a safe, stable, permanent home
and a speedy resolution to dependency and termination proceedings. RCW 13. 34. 020. " When the
rights of basic nurture, physical and mental health, and safety of the child and the legal rights of
the parents are in conflict, the rights and safety of the child should prevail." RCW 13. 34. 020.
H.M. argues that the juvenile court erred by finding that termination of H.M.' s parental
rights was in N.M.' s best interests. Essentially, she argues that because N.M. loves her mother
and wants to spend more time with her, it was not in N.M.' s best interests to terminate H.M.' s
6 The Department met its burden to prove that continuation of the parent and child relationship
clearly diminishes N.M.' s prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent home because
the legal relationship between H.M. and N.M. prevents N.M. from being adopted. Therefore, we
do not address whether the CASA' s testimony regarding the grief and loss N.M. suffers after her
mother' s broken promises would be sufficient evidence to prove that continuation of the parent
and child relationship clearly diminishes N.M.' s prospects for early integration into a stable and
permanent home based on the damaging or destabilizing nature of the relationship.
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parental rights. But, both Knick and Tisino testified that it was important for N.M. to have
permanence as soon as possible. And, they agreed that N.M. should be adopted by her
grandmother. Therefore, there was substantial evidence supporting the juvenile court' s finding
that it was in N.M.' s best interests to terminate H.M.' s parental rights.
In sum, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to continue the termination
trial to allow H.M. to explore a guardianship. In addition, the Department proved that all necessary
services were expressly and understandably offered or provided to H.M., and that continuation of
the parent and child relationship would clearly diminish N.M' s prospects for early integration into
a stable and permanent home. Finally, the Department proved that termination of H.M.' s parental
rights was in the best interests of N.M.
Affirmed.
We concur:
Lee, J.
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