In Re: Adoption of E.I.M., a Minor

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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
IN RE: ADOPTION OF E.I.M., A MINOR IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
APPEAL OF: A.L.H., MOTHER
No. 3071 EDA 2016
Appeal from the Decree Entered September 6, 2016
In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County
Orphans' Court at No(s): 2016-A052
IN RE: ADOPTION OF N.J.M., A MINOR IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
APPEAL OF: A.L.H., MOTHER
No. 3072 EDA 2016
Appeal from the Decree Entered September 6, 2016
In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County
Orphans' Court at No(s): 2016-A053
IN RE: ADOPTION OF L.C.M., A MINOR IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
APPEAL OF: A.L.H., MOTHER
No. 3073 EDA 2016
Appeal from the Decree Entered September 6, 2016
In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County
Orphans' Court at No(s): 2016-A054
BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., LAZARUS, J., and FITZGERALD, J.*
MEMORANDUM BY BENDER, P.J.E.: FILED MARCH 28, 2017
A.L.H. (“Mother”) appeals from the decrees entered September 6,
2016, that granted the petitions filed by the Montgomery County Office of
____________________________________________
*
Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.
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Children and Youth (“OCY”) to involuntarily terminate her parental rights to
her minor children, L.C.M. (born in October of 2013), E.I.M. (born in January
of 2012), and N.J.M. (born in August of 2010), (collectively “Children”),
pursuant to sections 2511(a)(1), (2), (8), and (b) of the Adoption Act, 23
1, 2
Pa.C.S. §§ 2101-2938. After careful review of the record and applicable
law, we affirm.
At the conclusion of the termination hearing on September 1, 2016,
the orphans’ court set forth the following findings of fact:
This family became known to [OCY] after absconding from
Bucks County Office of Children & Youth supervision related to
the abuse of daughter, L.[C.]M.
[Mother] and her three [C]hildren lived with her paramour
in Montgomery County when son[,] [E.I.M.,] endured traumatic
injuries that required his hospitalization for approximately three
months. During the criminal investigation that resulted from this
incident, [Mother] was uncooperative, ultimately pleading guilty
to criminal charges of endangering the welfare of [C]hildren, and
lying to authorities or unsworn falsification, as well as serving
approximately one year in custody at the Montgomery County
Correctional Facility.
[OCY] involvement started upon the hospitalization of the
son[,] E[.I.]M. The relationship between birth parents and OCY
is characterized as evasive by [Father] and combative by
[Mother].
____________________________________________
1
The orphans’ court issued the decrees on September 1, 2016 at case
numbers 3071, 3072, and 3073 EDA 2016; however, the decrees were not
entered on the docket until September 6, 2016.
2
The parental rights of the Children’s father, J.C.M. (“Father”), were
terminated by separate decrees entered on the same date. Father has filed
separate appeals. See Docket Nos. 3142, 3144, and 3147 EDA 2016.
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…
During much of this time period at issue here[,] [Mother]
has been incarcerated. It is extremely difficult for this [c]ourt to
consider [Mother] as a credible witness, especially regarding her
statement that she wants the best for her [C]hildren. In
addition to the crimen falsi of her conviction for unsworn
falsification, [M]other’s attitude through her testimony that only
she knows what is best for her [C]hildren illustrates that she
lacks the maturity and the will to see the bigger picture. We are
here today as a result of her actions regarding her [C]hildren
thus far.
N.T. Hearing, 9/1/16, at 167-169.
On February 23, 2016, OCY filed petitions for the involuntary
termination of Mother’s parental rights regarding each of her three Children.
After hearing testimony from OCY and Mother at the termination hearing on
September 1, 2016, the orphans’ court issued final decrees, terminating
Mother’s parental rights pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 2511(a)(1), (2), (8), and
(b).
On September 16, 2016, Mother filed timely notices of appeal in each
of the three underlying matters,3 along with timely Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b)
concise statements of errors complained of on appeal. In her brief, Mother
presents the following issue for our review: “Whether the trial court
committed an error of law and/or abuse of discretion when it held that [OCY]
had proven by ‘clear and convincing evidence’ that [Mother’s] parental rights
____________________________________________
3
The appeals at 3071, 3072 and 3073 EDA 2016 were consolidated sua
sponte by per curiam order of this Court, as all of these matters involve
related parties and issues. Order, 10/24/16.
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should be terminated pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 2511(a)(1), (2), and (8)?”
Mother’s Brief at 4.
We review an appeal from the termination of parental rights under the
following standard:
[A]ppellate courts must apply an abuse of discretion
standard when considering a trial court’s determination of a
petition for termination of parental rights. As in dependency
cases, our standard of review requires an appellate court to
accept the findings of fact and credibility determinations of the
trial court if they are supported by the record. In re: R.J.T.,
608 Pa. 9, 9 A.3d 1179, 1190 (Pa. 2010). If the factual findings
are supported, appellate courts review to determine if the trial
court made an error of law or abused its discretion. Id.; R.I.S.,
36 A.3d [567,] 572 [(Pa. 2011) (plurality opinion)]. As has been
often stated, an abuse of discretion does not result merely
because the reviewing court might have reached a different
conclusion. Id.; see also Samuel Bassett v. Kia Motors
America, Inc., 613 Pa. 371[, 455], 34 A.3d 1, 51 (Pa. 2011);
Christianson v. Ely, 575 Pa. 647, [654-655,] 838 A.2d 630,
634 (Pa. 2003). Instead, a decision may be reversed for an
abuse of discretion only upon demonstration of manifest
unreasonableness, partiality, prejudice, bias, or ill-will. Id.As we discussed in R.J.T., there are clear reasons for
applying an abuse of discretion standard of review in these
cases. We observed that, unlike trial courts, appellate courts are
not equipped to make the fact-specific determinations on a cold
record, where the trial judges are observing the parties during
the relevant hearing and often presiding over numerous other
hearings regarding the child and parents. R.J.T., 9 A.3d at
1190. Therefore, even where the facts could support an
opposite result, as is often the case in dependency and
termination cases, an appellate court must resist the urge to
second guess the trial court and impose its own credibility
determinations and judgment; instead we must defer to the trial
judges so long as the factual findings are supported by the
record and the court’s legal conclusions are not the result of an
error of law or an abuse of discretion. In re Adoption of
Atencio, 539 Pa. 161, [165,] 650 A.2d 1064, 1066 (Pa. 1994).
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In re Adoption of S.P., 47 A.3d 817, 826-27 (Pa. 2012).
In termination cases, the burden is upon the petitioner to prove by
clear and convincing evidence that the asserted grounds for seeking the
termination of parental rights are valid. In re S.H., 879 A.2d 802, 806 (Pa.
Super. 2005). We have previously stated:
The standard of clear and convincing evidence is defined as
testimony that is so clear, direct, weighty and convincing as to
enable the trier of fact to come to a clear conviction, without
hesitance, of the truth of the precise facts in issue.
In re J.L.C., 837 A.2d 1247, 1251 (Pa. Super. 2003) (internal quotation
marks omitted).
Termination of parental rights is governed by section 2511 of the
Adoption Act, which requires a bifurcated analysis.
Our case law has made clear that under Section 2511, the court
must engage in a bifurcated process prior to terminating
parental rights. Initially, the focus is on the conduct of the
parent. The party seeking termination must prove by clear and
convincing evidence that the parent’s conduct satisfies the
statutory grounds for termination delineated in Section 2511(a).
Only if the court determines that the parent’s conduct warrants
termination of his or her parental rights does the court engage in
the second part of the analysis pursuant to Section 2511(b):
determination of the needs and welfare of the child under the
standard of best interest of the child. One major aspect of the
needs and welfare analysis concerns the nature and status of the
emotional bond between parent and child, with close attention
paid to the effect on the child of permanently severing any such
bond.
In re L.M., 923 A.2d 505, 511 (Pa. Super. 2007) (citing 23 Pa.C.S. § 2511;
other citations omitted).
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This Court must agree with only one subsection of 2511(a), in addition
to section 2511(b), in order to affirm the termination of parental rights. See
In re B.L.W., 843 A.2d 380, 384 (Pa. Super. 2004) (en banc). Herein, we
review the decree pursuant to section 2511(a)(2) and (b), which provide as
follows:
(a) General Rule.—The rights of a parent in regard to a child
may be terminated after a petition filed on any of the following
grounds:
…
(2) The repeated and continued incapacity, abuse, neglect
or refusal of the parent has caused the child to be without
essential parental care, control or subsistence necessary
for his physical or mental well-being and the conditions
and causes of the incapacity, abuse, neglect or refusal
cannot or will not be remedied by the parent.
…
(b) Other considerations.—The court in terminating the rights
of a parent shall give primary consideration to the
developmental, physical and emotional needs and welfare of the
child. The rights of a parent shall not be terminated solely on
the basis of environmental factors such as inadequate housing,
furnishings, income, clothing and medical care if found to be
beyond the control of the parent. With respect to any petition
filed pursuant to subsection (a)(1), (6) or (8), the court shall not
consider any efforts by the parent to remedy the conditions
described therein which are first initiated subsequent to the
giving of notice of the filing of the petition.
23 Pa.C.S. § 2511(a)(2) and (b).
We first address whether the trial court abused its discretion by
terminating Mother’s parental rights pursuant to Section 2511(a)(2).
In order to terminate parental rights pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. §
2511(a)(2), the following three elements must be met: (1)
repeated and continued incapacity, abuse, neglect or refusal; (2)
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such incapacity, abuse, neglect or refusal has caused the child to
be without essential parental care, control or subsistence
necessary for his physical or mental well-being; and (3) the
causes of the incapacity, abuse, neglect or refusal cannot or will
not be remedied.
In re Adoption of M.E.P., 825 A.2d 1266, 1272 (Pa. Super. 2003) (citation
omitted). “The grounds for termination due to parental incapacity that
cannot be remedied are not limited to affirmative misconduct. To the
contrary, those grounds may include acts of refusal as well as incapacity to
perform parental duties.” In re A.L.D., 797 A.2d 326, 337 (Pa. Super.
2002) (citations omitted).
Instantly, OCY asserted that Mother suffers from an incapacity to
parent her Children, due to her failure to acknowledge the unexplained
injuries suffered by two of her children and the fact that she lacks stability
and has failed to maintain a significant parental relationship with the
Children that would meet their emotional needs. See OCY’s Brief at 20.
OCY further argues:
Mother has a criminal conviction of endangering the welfare of a
child related to the incident that brought E.I.M. and his siblings
to OCY’s attention in January of 2015. She has failed to discuss
her role in this incident and she has failed to understand E.I.M.’s
extensive injuries and resulting special needs. Mother’s history
of involvement with OCY in two counties for unexplained injuries
to her very young children, and her failure to acknowledge her
role in these injuries, renders her incapable of safely caring for
the [Children] and resuming full-time care of them.
Id. (citations to the record omitted).
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Moreover, our Supreme Court addressed, in S.P., the relevance of
incarceration in termination decisions under section 2511(a)(2). The S.P.
Court held that:
Incarceration is a factor, and indeed can be a determinative
factor, in a court’s conclusion that grounds for termination exist
under § 2511(a)(2) where the repeated and continued incapacity
of a parent due to incarceration has caused the child to be
without essential parental care, control or subsistence and that
the causes of the incapacity cannot or will not be remedied.
S.P., 47 A.3d at 828.
Here, the orphans’ court found Mother’s incarceration a relevant
factor, as she was in custody during much of the time frame at issue. The
court went on to elaborate that:
As the [S.P.] Court definitively ruled …, [the lower court] may
consider the effect of a parent’s incarceration in addressing the
evidence offered to support a petition to terminate parental
rights. This [c]ourt must also consider whether even when not
incarcerated the parents have provided or have failed to provide
the children with essential parental care, control or subsistence
necessary for their physical or mental well-being. Parents are
required to make diligent efforts towards the reasonably prompt
assumption of full parental responsibilities…. A parent’s vow to
cooperate after a long period of uncooperativeness regarding the
necessity or availability of services may properly be rejected as
untimely or disingenuous, thus, a trial court may properly refuse
to consider a parent’s indication that he or she wishes an
opportunity to improve their parenting in the future.
N.T. Hearing at 171 (citations omitted).
Here, Mother avers that she was not offered visitation with her
Children while incarcerated, but that she did complete a parenting class.
Mother further states that E.I.M. was harmed by a negligent act of not
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taking him for care sooner and promises “that would never happen again.”
Mother’s Brief at 8. However, the orphans’ court rejected Mother’s promise
and stated: “Based on [Mother’s] lack of credibility, her combativeness with
efforts from the staff of OCY, and the failure to comply with many of their
Family Service Plan requirements leads this [c]ourt to that rejection.” N.T.
Hearing at 172. Moreover, the court noted that, “completing the parenting
course while in custody is admirable, but [the court] didn’t hear from [her]
testimony on the stand a willingness to do more.” Id. Mother’s perceived
lack of interest in pursuing parenting courses led the court to seriously
question Mother’s assertion that she wants what is best for her Children. Id.
As OCY points out in its brief, Mother’s incarceration was not the sole,
nor greatest, factor in the court’s determination to terminate Mother’s
parental rights under section 2511(a)(2). Contrary to Mother’s assertion
that she was “doing well before incarceration and after,” see Mother’s Brief
at 6, OCY argues that Mother’s incapacity was apparent both pre-
incarceration and post-incarceration. In support of its argument, OCY
provides:
Mother has [] suffered from chronic housing instability that
prevents her from providing the Children with the structure and
stability that they need. Mother’s inability to maintain stable
housing arose even before she was incarcerated. Since her
release, Mother has not obtained appropriate housing to which
the Children could return. At the time of [the] termination of
parental rights hearing, Mother could not provide her address to
OCY or the [c]ourt, and she had no firm plan of where she would
live with the Children. Her future was still unknown. Mother’s
chronic inability to maintain stable housing renders her incapable
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of caring for [her Children]. Mother also had no income or form
of stable employment to assist her in caring for the Children.
Mother has not demonstrated an ability to meet the emotional
needs of the Children, as she has failed to maintain a significant
relationship or demonstrated the ability to meet their needs
during supervised visitation. Even when they did have contact
over one year ago, the Children were never sad or disappointed
when it was time to say good-bye to her. The quality of the
visits themselves were poor, as Mother lacked the ability to
properly care for three children, was consistently on her phone,
and was unable to set age appropriate limits, and had
inappropriate interactions with the Children. Mother has thus
demonstrated an incapacity to meet the Children’s emotional
needs, by essentially disappearing from their lives and not
providing them the attention, love and care they require from a
parent.
OCY’s Brief at 20-21.
Based on the foregoing, the orphans’ court held that OCY met its
burden under section 2511(a)(2) by clear and convincing evidence. N.T.
Hearing at 175. After careful review, we conclude that the court’s
determinations are well supported by the record.
After we determine that the requirements of section 2511(a) are
satisfied, we proceed to reviewing whether the requirements of subsection
(b) are met. See In re Adoption of C.L.G., 956 A.2d 999, 1009 (Pa.
Super. 2008) (en banc). This Court has stated that the focus in terminating
parental rights under section 2511(a) is on the parent, but it is on the child
pursuant to section 2511(b). Id. at 1008.
In reviewing the evidence in support of termination under section
2511(b), our Supreme Court recently stated as follows:
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[I]f the grounds for termination under subsection (a) are met, a
court “shall give primary consideration to the developmental,
physical and emotional needs and welfare of the child.” 23
Pa.C.S. § 2511(b). The emotional needs and welfare of the child
have been properly interpreted to include “intangibles such as
love, comfort, security, and stability.” In re K.M., 53 A.3d 781,
791 (Pa. Super. 2012). In In re E.M., [620 A.2d 481, 485 (Pa.
1992)], this Court held that the determination of the child’s
“needs and welfare” requires consideration of the emotional
bonds between the parent and child. The “utmost attention”
should be paid to discerning the effect on the child of
permanently severing the parental bond. In re K.M., 53 A.3d at
791.
In re T.S.M., 71 A.3d 251, 267 (Pa. 2013).
Mother avers that she maintained contact with her children up until
her visitations were cut off at the time of incarceration and argues that she
is bonded with her children. See Mother’s Brief at 9. However, in support of
its conclusion that termination of Mother’s parental rights is in the best
interests of the Children, the orphans’ court expressly stated:
[T]he testimony clearly established that although there is
affection and each parent cares for the [C]hildren, the birth
parents have not maintained sufficient and consistent contact
and there is minimal parental bond between the [C]hildren and
either birth parent.
I find that the parental bond between [Mother] and the two sons
exists, however, this [c]ourt finds that the two sons would suffer
no detrimental harm by terminating the parental rights. I find
that there is no bond between [Mother] and [L.C.M].
N.T. Hearing at 177-178.
“Courts considering termination must also consider whether the
children are in a pre-adoptive home and whether they have a bond with
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their foster parents.” In re T.S.M., 71 A.3d 251, 268 (Pa. 2013). In this
case, OCY reports,
all three Children are placed in pre-adoptive homes where all of
their needs are met. N.J.M. and L.C.M. know their foster parents
as [their] mom and dad and she [sic] calls them “mommy” and
“daddy,” they both interact with the siblings in the foster home
as if they are their biological siblings. E.I.M.’s foster parent is
able to provide for his long-term needs, given his extensive
special needs.
OCY’s Brief at 28.
Based on the testimony and evidence produced at the termination
hearing, the orphans’ court concluded:
[T]hese birth parents have not provided a home, have not met
their children’s needs, and have not maintained a consistent and
strong parent-child relationship. The parent[s’] desire, namely
[Mother’s] desire, to start over at this time is insufficient to meet
the [C]hildren’s needs for a consistent and reliable love, affection
and responsibility. I conclude that the emotional needs and
welfare of the [C]hildren can best be met by terminating the
parental rights of both birth parents and that the [C]hildren will
not suffer a detriment as a result of termination of the parental
rights of birth parents.
Therefore, I find from the evidence and testimony that
termination of … [Mother’s] rights best serves the needs and
welfare of each of the [C]hildren, and termination of the parental
rights of [Mother] … will not irreparably harm any of the
[C]hildren.
N.T. Hearing at 178.
As there is competent evidence in the record that supports the
orphans’ court credibility and weight assessments regarding the Children’s
needs and welfare, and the absence of any bond with Mother, we conclude
that the court did not abuse its discretion as to section 2511(b). See S.P.,
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47 A.3d at 826-27. Accordingly, we affirm the order terminating Mother’s
parental rights to the Children.
Order affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 3/28/2017
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