Opinion
No. M2009-01504-COA-R3-PT.
Assigned on Briefs December 3, 2009.
Filed February 22, 2010.
Appeal from the Juvenile Court for Davidson County; No. PT 91306; Betty K. Adams, Judge.
Judgment of the Juvenile Court Affirmed.
C. Michael Cardwell, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Daisy P. Dennis L. Nordhoff, Franklin, Tennessee, for the appellant, Antonio L.
Robert E. Cooper, Jr., Attorney General and Reporter; Michael E. Moore, Solicitor General; and Elizabeth C. Driver, Senior Counsel; for the appellee, State of Tennessee, Department of Children's Services.
Andy D. Bennett, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Patricia J. Cottrell, P.J., M.S., and Richard H. Dinkins, J., joined.
OPINION
The trial court terminated the parental rights of mother and father to their four children. Because there was clear and convincing evidence to support the trial court's decision, we affirm that decision.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
Daisy P. ("Mother") and Antonio L. ("Father") have four children: Justine P. and Antonio P., twins born in January 2005; Lexas L., a girl born in December 2005; and Quantaeveis L., a boy born in May 2007. The Department of Children's Services ("DCS") first became involved with this family in November 2006 when Lexas sustained an unexplained skull fracture. Mother's father encouraged her to take the child to the emergency room regarding swelling on the right side of Lexas's head. After emergency room doctors discovered the skull fracture, the child was transferred to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for treatment. Initially, Mother did not have any explanation for Lexas's injuries; she later suggested that the injuries might have been the result of the child falling off of a bed several days earlier.
Subsequent to the initiation of this termination action, Justine P. and Antonio P. were legally determined to be the children of Antonio L. Their names were changed to Justine L. and Antonio L.
Dr. Stephen Cico, an emergency room physician at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, confirmed the skull fracture and discovered a subdural hematoma between the fractured part of the skull and the brain. Because the skull fracture consisted of a straight break through two separate bones in the skull, Dr. Cico concluded that the fracture had been caused by a very high force. He opined that the fracture was similar in type to an injury he had seen that resulted from the patient being hit on the side of the head by someone swinging a baseball bat. Dr. Cico did not believe such an injury could be caused by falling off of a bed. He opined that Lexas sustained significant trauma to her head and that her injuries could have resulted in death if the bleeding had continued. Dr. Cico further stated that he did not think Lexas's injuries were the result of an accident.
The hospital notified DCS, and a child protective services ("CPS") investigator, Barbara Lowe, interviewed Mother at the hospital that same day, a Saturday. Mother told the CPS investigator that Lexas had fallen off of a bed several days earlier. The children were living with Mother and had not been with Father since the previous weekend. DCS placed the three children — Antonio, Justine, and Lexas — with a family friend and filed an emergency dependency and neglect petition. By early February 2007, the family friend could no longer care for the children, who were then placed with their maternal grandfather. A few weeks later, the grandfather notified DCS that he could no longer care for the children. The juvenile court entered a protective custody order placing the three children in DCS custody, and DCS placed the children in a foster home.
On March 1, 2007, DCS developed initial permanency plans for Antonio, Justine, and Lexas. The goal of the permanency plans was reunification with the parents, with a target date of March 1, 2008. Mother and Father were given supervised visitation with the children. Among the strengths noted on the permanency plans were that Father had stable housing and a job. The permanency plans included the following responsibilities for Father: participate in individual counseling to address anger management; complete a mental health assessment with a parenting component and follow all recommendations; work with Mother to build a positive family environment by participating in family counseling and following all recommendations; and participate in a parenting assessment and follow all recommendations, including parenting classes.
The permanency plans included the following responsibilities for Mother: participate in a mental health assessment with a five-axis diagnosis and a parenting component and follow all recommendations, including individual counseling; obtain stable housing by applying with the Department of Human Services for housing through the MDHA; participate in a parenting assessment and follow all recommendations, including parenting classes; and work with Father to build a positive family environment by participating in family counseling and following all recommendations. DCS/Omni Visions was to assist Mother in finding appropriate housing and completing the application process.
Omni Visions is a private foster care agency with which DCS contracted for services.
After a hearing on March 30, 2007, the juvenile court approved the initial permanency plans. The order provided that DCS was making reasonable efforts to achieve the permanency plan goals, including providing parenting classes, mental health counseling, and psychological evaluation for both parents.
Mother began counseling with Deborah Pitts at Centerstone in April 2007. At that time, Mother was living with Father (whom she described as her ex-boyfriend), her cousin, and the cousin's boyfriend and child. Mother had just finished two years of probation for aggravated assault charges stemming from an incident when she stabbed Father. She was unemployed and pregnant with her fourth child. Mother described a troubled childhood, including sexual abuse and being in foster care off and on from the age of 12. Before meeting Father, she had lived on the streets. Ms. Pitts referred Mother for counseling and case management services. She diagnosed Mother with a chronic adjustment disorder. At her next appointment, a week later, Mother discussed an incident in July 2006 when she and Father had served jail time for child neglect. When she returned at the end of the month, Mother was living at the Family Life Center, a shelter. She and Ms. Pitts discussed her current housing options of staying with Father, with whom she was angry for cheating on her, or at the shelter. Mother cancelled her next Centerstone appointment in early May 2007.
Ms. Pitts testified that an adjustment disorder "is something that I'm certain most everyone in this room will experience at one point in time, just dealing with life stressors."
It appears from other evidence in the record that Father appeared at Mother's place of employment and the two got into an altercation resulting in the police being called. The police subsequently found the parties' three young children, 18-month-old twins and seven-month-old Lexas, alone in a motel room.
Ms. Pitts testified that she encouraged Mother to keep her case management appointment in order to work on getting her basic needs met. Mother was planning to continue living with Father after the baby was born. Ms. Pitts informed her that case management could help her find a place to live, as well as furniture. Mother met with the case manager on April 24, 2007.
Mother gave birth to her fourth child, Quantaeveis L., on May 15, 2007. DCS received a referral concerning Quantaeveis on May 31, 2007. Mother was living in a shelter and a home visit with Father was unsuccessful. The baby was placed with Father's aunt and uncle as part of a safety plan. By early August 2007, Father's aunt and uncle could no longer care for Quantaeveis, due in part to problems with Father and Mother. The juvenile court entered an emergency protective order placing the child in DCS custody. Quantaeveis was placed in the same foster home as his three siblings.
Father's aunt and uncle called the police several times due to fears about what Father might do. They reported that the parents did not comply with the terms of the safety plan. The aunt and uncle also complained that they did not receive enough support from DCS to allow them to keep the child.
During the summer of 2007, Mother cancelled most of her counseling appointments at Centerstone, but she continued to use the case management services through September 2007. At her last counseling appointment, in July 2007, Mother was preoccupied with her baby's removal from the home. She was living with her former roommate from the shelter and continuing to search for employment. Ms. Pitts testified that Mother's "need for counseling services at that time [July 2007] were not extraordinarily high and she needed to get the basics . . . taken care of first before she . . . returned to counseling."
The case management records are not part of the record on appeal.
Father was in jail from July 31, 2007, through August 1, 2007, for assault and domestic bodily injury against Mother. Jenny McKinney, Mother's case manager at Cornerstone, testified that she encouraged Mother to go into a domestic violence shelter in early August 2007, but Mother declined. When Mother desired to go into a shelter about a year later, Ms. McKinney was unable to get her into a shelter because she was no longer in a crisis situation. Ms. Pitts officially discontinued Mother's file at Centerstone in January 2008 due to a lapse in service. She noted poor compliance with therapy and fair compliance with case management.
On August 20, 2007, the juvenile court entered an order in a case brought on behalf of Lexas requiring Mother to pay $236 a month in child support.
DCS developed permanency plans for Quantaeveis on August 23, 2007, with a goal of reunification with parents and a target date of February 23, 2008. As to family strengths, the permanency plan stated that Mother and Father were cooperative with DCS, were involved with their children, were working well with the foster family, and had completed parenting classes. Mother was working with Centerstone to find housing. With respect to needs, the permanency plan stated that Mother needed stable housing and employment as well as continued individual counseling, a parenting assessment, family counseling, and domestic violence counseling/classes. Father needed a different job closer to home, stable housing, individual counseling, a parenting assessment, anger management and domestic violence counseling/classes, family counseling, and fulfillment of his probation. The tasks assigned to Mother and Father were substantially the same as in the other children's parenting plans, with some additional actions: Father was to participate in domestic violence classes or counseling. While noting that Mother had completed a mental health assessment, the plan stated that Mother needed to provide DCS with documentation showing whether there had been an Axis V diagnosis. She was also to participate in domestic violence classes or counseling. Quantaeveis's parenting plan was approved by the juvenile court on September 5, 2007.
After a hearing on August 28, 2007, and September 5, 2007, the juvenile court found all four children to be dependent and neglected. The court found that Lexas's injuries occurred while the child was in Mother's care and control but declined to make a finding of severe child abuse. The oldest three children were found to be dependent and neglected due to the injuries sustained by Lexas while in Mother's care and to Father's inability to care for them. Quantaeveis was found to be dependent and neglected due to both parents' inability to care for him. All four children were to remain in DCS custody.
On September 5, 2007, Father pled guilty to misdemeanor child neglect charges stemming from the July 2006 incident when he allegedly left the children in a motel room unsupervised. He was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days of probation.
DCS developed revised permanency plans for all four children on November 7, 2007. Citing the parent's "minimal progress on the permanency plan," the revised plan added an alternative goal of adoption with a target date of May 7, 2008. The plan noted that Mother and Father were employed, Father had housing, and they were both motivated to get their children home. As to needs, the plan stated that Mother needed stable housing on her own. Both parents needed individual and family counseling, mental health assessments with a parenting component, and further parenting education. With respect to Father, the plan added actions of providing documentation of previous counseling for anger management, participation in domestic violence classes and no further incidents of domestic violence, maintaining employment and housing, and maintaining contact with DCS/Omni Visions. Mother was to participate in domestic violence classes and access services to assist her in finding housing. The new permanency plans were court approved on December 7, 2007. In its order, the court stated that lack of progress by the parents and continuing domestic violence issues were barriers to resolving the issues necessitating foster care.
Each parent completed a parenting assessment in November 2007. Father's scores reflected an increased risk of perpetrating physical abuse. Mother's scores were elevated on the "faking good" index and reflected an increased risk of perpetrating physical abuse. The parenting assessments recommended parenting education and individual/family counseling for both Mother and Father.
Mother had a psychological evaluation by Susan Pruitt on November 20, 2007. Mother described her relationship with Father as stormy, violent, and unhealthy. She had recently started working at a video store and stated that she wanted to get her GED. Testing raised concerns about impulsiveness and chronic hostility. Ms. Pruitt described Mother as "a lost soul who knows intellectually what she desires and what would be good for her family but has no understanding of how to acquire those things and how to implement them into a family unit." She recommended individual counseling, psychiatric evaluation, review of parenting classes, domestic violence classes, connection with a women's shelter for training and resources, having a mentoring family to help her learn about a functional family, and career services. Ms. Pruitt's diagnostic impressions were partner relational problem and parent child relational problem; she also stated that further evaluation would be necessary to rule out a major depressive disorder or an antisocial personality disorder.
On December 17, 2007, the juvenile court entered orders requiring Father to pay $136 a month in child support for Lexas and $136 a month for Quantaeveis.
Deborah Russell conducted a psychological evaluation of Father on December 28, 2007. Father was staying in a friend's house until his own house was ready for habitation. Asked where he saw himself in two years, Father said that he saw himself as a millionaire on a beach, relaxing with his children. He rated his coping skills as a ten on a ten-point scale. Father's mother died when he was ten years old, and he was in state custody until he was 19 years old. At the age of 12, he was treated for severe emotional distress and was placed in a state facility because of a robbery charge. He described other criminal charges, including aggravated assault at the age of 12. Father also discussed the incident when he was charged with child neglect. Father stated that he struggled with anger problems. He also reported having eight counts of driving on a suspended license but stated that he would continue to drive in order to get to work. Ms. Russell did not make any recommendations with respect to mental health issues but did recommend parenting education. Her diagnostic impressions were partner relational problem and neglect of child.
In January 2008, Father was arrested for driving on a suspended license and spent a day in jail. He pled guilty and was sentenced to six months; all but seven days of which were suspended. Father was in jail from March 20, 2008, through April 20, 2008, for driving on a suspended license, second offense. He pled guilty and was sentenced to five days.
In February 2008, the juvenile court entered orders requiring Mother to pay child support in the amount of $105 for each of her four children. At the same time, the court entered orders requiring Father to pay child support in the amount of $72.25 a month for Antonio and $72.25 a month for Justine.
On June 6, 2008, DCS filed this petition to terminate parental rights against Mother and Father. As to Mother and Father, the petition alleges the following grounds for termination: (1) abandonment by failure to support for more than four consecutive months prior to the filing of the petition pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(1) and Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-102(1)(A)(i) and (B); (2) substantial non-compliance with the permanency plan pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(2); and (3) persistence of conditions pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3). With respect to Mother only, the petition further alleges the additional grounds of severe child abuse pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(4) and mental incompetence pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(8).
Father was in jail for domestic assault charges from June 30, 2008, through July 8, 2008.
THE HEARING
The case was heard over a period of three days, September 29, 2008, March 23, 2009, and May 29, 2009. DCS put on testimony by Nancy Hudson, who administered the parenting assessments to Mother and Father, and by Ms. Pitts, Mother's counselor at Centerstone. Patricia Parker, an adoption specialist with Omni Visions, testified that she was working to find a permanent adoptive home for these four children. Ms. Lowe, child protective services investigator, testified about her interview with Mother at the hospital on the day when Lexas's injuries were reported to DCS.
Tabitha Daniels, the foster mother for the children at the time of the September 2008 hearing, gave testimony about the children's behavior when they first came into the foster home. The children would wake up screaming at night, exhibited aggressive behavior, and hoarded food. Ms. Daniels supervised the children's visits with Mother and Father during their first five or six months in foster care. Antonio would beg her not to make him go to the visitation and would not speak for several days after a visit. According to Ms. Daniels, the children's behavior had improved by the time of the hearing. There were no more sleep issues, the children no longer hoarded food, and Antonio was not as angry.
Ms. Russell, the counselor who performed the psychological evaluation of Father, testified that Father joked during the interview and did not seem to take it seriously. She characterized his behavior as immature. Father did not acknowledge concern about the prior child neglect incident as reflecting upon his ability to take care of the children. Ms. Russell further observed that Father did not express much concern about Lexas's severe head injuries.
Ms. Pruitt, who conducted the psychological evaluation of Mother, summarized her impressions:
[M]y feeling is if she didn't or she doesn't receive some serious services, some serious intervention, she's going to have a very difficult time holding a job, keeping a steady relationship and parenting her children. She's going to have a difficult time just making it through life without some intervention. She needs-she needs some serious help.
At the time of the interview, Ms. Pruitt "would be very concerned for her to be parenting a child that day." She did not recommend allowing Mother to have custody of the children until she had dealt with her problems, including mental health issues and relationship problems.
Selene Julia, the detective who investigated the case at the time of Lexas's injuries, observed that Mother "did not display any outward signs of concern over the child that was in the hospital" and "only became visibly upset when we spoke of her relationship with Lexas's father, Antonio, that had been dissolved at that [point] in time."
Jason Reazin, the Omni Visions resource coordinator in this case since April 2008, testified that he supervised the children's visits with their parents and coordinated with the behavior specialist who worked with the children and the parents. He characterized the family visits as having ups and downs. While the children responded well and the parents seemed to have reasonable expectations of the children at some visits, "there are also a lot of visits where there's bickering going on between the parents, there's been times where they've had difficulty with holding the children's expectations, or holding them to limits. . . ." Mr. Reazin testified that problems had erupted when one parent made an upsetting comment to the other during a visit, such as when Father threatened Mother that he would move to another city with the children or made an obscene comment to her. Mr. Reazin observed significant tension between the parents.
In his testimony, Mr. Reazin expressed concern over Father's focus on developing a music career. Father admitted to Mr. Reazin that he had recently been fired from a day job for falling asleep. Father told the resource coordinator that he had sold a thousand of his music CD's. Overall, Mr. Reazin stated that he had seen improvement in the parents' ability to parent the children when supervised in a public place. He expressed concern as to whether Mother and Father could adequately meet the children's needs outside of a supervised setting.
The second day of the hearing, in March 2009, began with the testimony of Jenny McKinney, the Omni Visions case manager. She described DCS's efforts to provide services to Mother and Father. Ms. McKinney stated that Mother was kicked out of domestic violence classes for lack of attendance. According to Ms. McKinney, the behavior specialist who had been working with the parents but was no longer with Omni Visions at the time of the hearing, talked to Mother about the availability of funding for her mental health needs. Mother went to an intake appointment in December 2008 and only attended one counseling session.
As to housing, Ms. McKinney stated that she did some online searches with Mother and took her to apply for housing. Mother had obtained housing within the six months before the hearing, but it was a one-bedroom apartment she was sharing with someone else, an arrangement not suitable for the children. Mother had reported to Ms. McKinney that she had regular employment at Motel 6 but did not provide her with any pay stubs. Because of her felony record, Mother was not eligible for a lot of the government housing services. Ms. McKinney testified that Mother did not complete domestic violence counseling or the recommendations of the psychological assessment. Mother had come to a visit in February 2008 with a black eye and reported that she had gotten into a fight at a bar.
DCS admitted into evidence a letter from Christy Robinson, the behavior specialist who was currently working with this family. Ms. Robinson had completed four visits with Mother, Father, and the children. She observed that Father antagonized Mother at times and would periodically entertain himself by shooting basketball instead of engaging with the children. When Ms. Robinson suggested to Father that they play a game that all of the children could do, Father became defensive and said the children did not like to play together. Father would not change diapers. According to Ms. Robinson, the children vied for their parents' attention. Mother was more open to suggestions than Father was. She had read the books provided to her by Ms. Robinson. In her letter, Ms. Robinson expressed concern that Father "may not be able to appropriately supervise all four children at one time." At the last visit, Ms. Robinson observed that the parents were more cooperative and kind toward one another. Before allowing unsupervised visitation, Ms. Robinson recommended a few visits where Ms. McKinney, Mr. Reazin, or Ms. Robinson herself would be present to monitor the parents but not to assist them.
Continuing her testimony, Ms. McKinney described DCS's actions with respect to Father. Although DCS initially tried to set up family counseling with a counselor who could meet with the parents individually, the counselor had trouble getting in touch with the parents. So, DCS ended up continuing the family counseling with the behavior specialist who was already working with the parents at their visits with the children. Ms. McKinney testified that Father was resistant to the recommended 26-week domestic violence education. At the time the termination petition was filed, Father had not completed the additional parenting education recommended by the psychological evaluation. Subsequent to the filing of the petition, Father completed the domestic violence counseling.
According to Ms. McKinney, Father did have an apartment when DCS first became involved with the family, but after that he did not have stable housing. She stated that she offered to help Father find housing and provided him with a printout of possible apartments, but he seemed resistant to assistance. Father assured Ms. McKinney that there was a house available through a friend that he could fix up, but it seemed to be a slow process. The house did not have any heat. Ms. McKinney offered to provide assistance with the new house if Father could provide proof of a lease and employment to show he could afford to live there, but he never provided that information. She stated that the housing obstacle was "the only reason that was keeping his kids in custody."
As to employment, Ms. McKinney stated that Father had had a number of different jobs, including warehouse, construction, and factory jobs, while the children were in state custody. She stated that Father had a significant tax refund of several thousand dollars the previous year, but instead of using that money to pay off debts and improve his chances of getting housing, Father used the money to bail Mother out of jail. Father gave different reasons for losing his various jobs, including falling asleep on the job. Father was working on a career in the music industry but had never shown any proof of income from that work. Ms. McKinney expressed concern about Father's focus on the music industry:
A. We talked about some of the concerns I had. Some of them had to do with supervision. He was out marketing. He had a lot of late nights that he would be out in clubs and things promoting his music. He would make comments to me about what it was going to be like when he was out on the road promoting his music, made a reference to be [sic] "high as a kite" when he was-he had basically told me that. I don't remember the exact context of the conversation, we were having a visit and he told me something about that I could drug test him right now and he would be negative, but that when he was out on the road that I better believe he'd be high as a kite and that was a concern to me. I think-I guess I would be concerned a little bit about his priorities. His children or his music, if it came down to having to choose one or the other, I don't know how that would all play out. . . .
Q. And I guess, just without having speculation, what has he told you and what kind of behaviors have you seen with [Father] to give you that concern?
A. I guess he seems to-there would be different points when we would be meeting-he would be meeting with me and instead of talking about the children, he would be talking about, Do you want to buy a CD, do you want to buy a t-shirt and come see me at this club. I'm going to be at the club this weekend. I think there was a lot of-maybe not-I don't think a misunderstanding of my role, but just kind of an inappropriateness, I think, to me, with regard to his music.
Ms. McKinney testified that the instability regarding Father's employment and housing persisted throughout the time she worked on the case. At the time when the termination petition was filed, Omni Visions felt that Father had progressed "pretty far" on the permanency plan requirements and was working on a trial home visit for Father. The Omni Visions staff had several conversations with Father about the need for him to get a job and find housing, but they were unable to make these things happen.
Ms. McKinney also discussed the problems related to Father's repeated charges for driving on a suspended license. She gave him bus passes to use to get to job interviews, but it took a while for Father to be willing to use the passes. Father told Ms. McKinney that he intended to continue driving without a license, and she was concerned about what would happen to the children if he were in jail.
The children were placed with a new foster family in December 2008, and this family wanted to adopt them.
Next to testify was Gloria O'Neal, the Omni Visions case manager who took over the case in January 2009. She had observed the children with the new foster family and stated that they were doing very well. Ms. O'Neal provided an update on the parents' progress. Father had recently contacted her to come see his new house, and she went to see it. According to Ms. O'Neal, the house still needed a lot of work, including replacing the carpets, providing heat, and obtaining furniture. Father would need to gradually increase his visitation with less and less supervision. Before they could consider Father's situation stable, Omni Visions wanted to see three to five months of maintaining a residence. Father told Ms. O'Neal that he had income from his music studio and a Pell Grant for community college classes; he had provided documentary proof concerning the latter.
Mother had not yet presented proof of stable housing or employment to Ms. O'Neal. When the case manager visited Mother at the first of March 2008, she was living with a friend and was about to be incarcerated. During her time on the case, Ms. O'Neal had not seen Mother make any progress.
Mother was incarcerated at the time of the March 2009 termination hearing date awaiting trial on criminal charges.
Mr. Reazin, the resource coordinator, testified again at the March 2009 hearing. He stated that the children were stable in their new foster home and had actually shown improvement since being placed there. Mr. Reazin made the following comments about the best interests of the children:
I've observed during . . . the visits that [Mother and Father] do love their children and I know that they want to have the children home. But the [prospective adoptive parents] are able to provide stability and structure and consistency that [Mother and Father] haven't been able to set up in the time the kids have been in custody. I know they've been working on it, but it seems like it's been taking-it's been very difficult getting to that point and even maintaining it when they have it. My opinion is that the children would be better off being adopted.
The juvenile court questioned Mr. Reazin about his observations at the visits that had occurred since the last hearing. Mr. Reazin had seen some improvement in the behavior of the parents and their ability to work together during the visits. He further stated that the parents were "religious" about trying to be at visits.
The father of the prospective adoptive family/current foster family testified about their five months with the children.
Father testified about child support payments he had made while the children were in state custody. Father testified that he and a friend had opened a recording studio in January 2008; they were working on an album and people could pay them to use the studio. Father did not have any accounting record of how much money he had made from the studio. He estimated that the studio brought in $250 to $350 a week. Father went on to describe the house he had fixed up. He estimated that 90% of the work needed on the house was completed. Father stated that he was leasing the house for six months and would have the option to buy it after six months. Father had not had to pay any rent yet because the landlord accepted his work on the house in place of rent. Father had not yet moved into the house but had already put beds in for the children. He was waiting to get the rest of the furniture he had bought. Father testified that Ms. McKinney had told him it would be okay to use space heaters and he was planning to buy those after the carpeting was replaced or cleaned.
When asked to clarify a statement that he had "plenty of money," Father testified that he had a job for a while at the first of the previous year. At the beginning of 2008, he received a $6000 tax refund. Father testified that he slept in his car for three weeks and was working two jobs. He saved up money and was looking for a place to live. Because of his history of evictions, previous arrests, and bad credit, he could not find a place to live. At the time of the hearing, Father's only work was his music career. He was booked to do a show at a club the following month.
Father testified that he would be getting a restricted driver's license in April 2009. This would allow him to drive to work and school. He acknowledged that he had lost several jobs for falling asleep on the job but stated that he had been to the doctor and might have narcolepsy. Lack of sleep was also a possible cause, however, since he had only been getting a maximum of three hours of sleep a night for the past two years.
Father felt that he had come a long way and stated that, "I think from being accused [of abuse] at the beginning to being cleared and doing what I'm doing now, I think that I do deserve a chance." He admitted that he had been angry when the children were first taken into custody because he had not been involved in the incident that led to their removal from Mother's home.
Father testified that he had been enrolled as a student at Draughons Junior College since October of 2008. From October 2007 through February or March of 2008, he worked two fulltime jobs, at Nissan and GMC, and made a total of about $800 a week. He did not sell any albums in 2007 and did not have a record of his album sales in 2008. Father stated that, in 2008, he sold 3200 records at between five and ten dollars apiece, but those figures did not account for any expenses.
Mother testified on the final hearing day in May 2009. She was still incarcerated awaiting trial on criminal charges. Mother testified that she was using her time in jail to take GED classes. She hoped to be able to go into a halfway house once her incarceration was over. She asked the court to give her a second chance to do what was necessary to get her children back. Mother stated that she visited with the children whenever given the opportunity. She had recently read some books on tape to be sent to the children in their foster home. Mother insisted to the court that the children had been taken out of her custody because of something she did not do.
At the end of the proof, DCS asked the court to allow it to amend the petition to plead another ground for termination as to Father: abandonment during the four-month period prior to his incarceration pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-102(1)(A)(iv).
DECISION OF JUVENILE COURT
In a lengthy and detailed opinion, the juvenile court found that there was clear and convincing evidence supporting the termination of the parental rights of Mother and Father. With respect to both parents, the court ruled that termination was proper on the grounds of persistence of conditions (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3)) and substantial noncompliance with permanency plans (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(2)). The court allowed DCS to amend its pleadings and ruled that Father's parental rights were also properly terminated on the grounds of abandonment pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-102(1)(A)(i) and (iv). As to Mother, the court concluded that termination was proper on the ground of mental incompetence, Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(8), but declined to find termination proper on the ground of abandonment because the court could not find a willful failure to support. The court also did not find clear and convincing evidence to support termination of Mother's parental rights based upon severe child abuse because of its previous ruling that there was no evidence of severe child abuse.
STANDARDS FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS
A parent has a fundamental right to the care, custody, and control of his or her child. Stanley v. Illinois, 405 U.S. 645, 651 (1972); Nash-Putnam v. McCloud, 921 S.W.2d 170, 174 (Tenn. 1996). Thus, the state may interfere with parental rights only if there is a compelling state interest. Nash-Putnam, 921 S.W.2d at 174-75 (citing Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745 (1982)). Terminating a person's parental rights "has the legal effect of reducing the parent to the role of a complete stranger." In re W.B., IV, No. M2004-00999-COA-R3-PT, 2005 WL 1021618, at *6 (Tenn. Ct. App. Apr. 29, 2005). Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(l)(1), "[a]n order terminating parental rights shall have the effect of severing forever all legal rights and obligations of the parent or guardian of the child against whom the order of termination is entered and of the child who is the subject of the petition to that parent or guardian."
Our termination statutes identify "those situations in which the state's interest in the welfare of a child justifies interference with a parent's constitutional rights by setting forth grounds on which termination proceedings can be brought." In re W.B., 2005 WL 1021618, at *7 (citing Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)). To support the termination of parental rights, petitioners must prove both the existence of one of the statutory grounds for termination and that termination is in the child's best interest. Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(c); In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d 539, 546 (Tenn. 2002).
Because of the fundamental nature of the parent's rights and the grave consequences of the termination of those rights, courts must require a higher standard of proof in deciding termination cases. Santosky, 455 U.S. at 769; In re M.W.A., Jr., 980 S.W.2d 620, 622 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998). Thus, both the grounds for termination and the best interest inquiry must be established by clear and convincing evidence. Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(c); In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d at 546. Clear and convincing evidence "establishes that the truth of the facts asserted is highly probable, and eliminates any serious or substantial doubt about the correctness of the conclusions drawn from the evidence." In re M.J.B., 140 S.W.3d 643, 653 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2004) (citations omitted). Such evidence "produces in a fact-finder's mind a firm belief or conviction regarding the truth of the facts sought to be established." Id.
In light of the heightened standard of proof in these cases, a reviewing court must adapt the customary standard of review set forth by Tenn. R. App. P. 13(d). Id. at 654. As to the trial court's findings of fact, our review is de novo with a presumption of correctness unless the evidence preponderates otherwise, in accordance with Tenn. R. App. P. 13(d). Id. We must then determine whether the facts, as found by the trial court or as supported by the preponderance of the evidence, clearly and convincingly establish the elements necessary to terminate parental rights. Id.
ANALYSIS
A party seeking termination of parental rights must prove two elements by clear and convincing evidence: the existence of one of the statutory grounds for termination and that termination is in the child's best interest. Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(c); In re M.L.P., 281 S.W.3d 387, 392 (Tenn. 2009); In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d at 546. A trial court is only required to find one statutory ground in order to terminate parental rights. In re D.L.B., 118 S.W.3d 360, 367 (Tenn. 2003).
Persistence of conditions
Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3) authorizes the termination of parental rights on the following grounds:
The child has been removed from the home of the parent or guardian by order of a court for a period of six (6) months and:
(A) The conditions that led to the child's removal or other conditions that in all reasonable probability would cause the child to be subjected to further abuse or neglect and that, therefore, prevent the child's safe return to the care of the parent(s) or guardian(s), still persist;
(B) There is little likelihood that these conditions will be remedied at an early date so that the child can be safely returned to the parent(s) or guardian(s) in the near future; and
(C) The continuation of the parent or guardian and child relationship greatly diminishes the child's chances of early integration into a safe, stable and permanent home.
Mother
Mother acknowledges that the conditions that led to the children's removal from her home include non-accidental trauma to Lexas, unstable housing, domestic violence, and mental health issues. Mother asserts that clear and convincing evidence does not support a conclusion that these conditions persist. We must disagree with Mother's position.
The trial court's order includes the following relevant findings of fact:
[Mother] has not complied with the provisions of her permanency plans. She has not addressed her mental health issues through counseling, has failed to complete domestic violence counseling which allowed her to be victimized on at least two different occasions, did not attempt to be evaluated for psychotropic medication and has not maintained stable housing. Stable is the operative word because in 23 months, she has had five different addresses in five different zip codes.
. . . .
[Mother] has denied any responsibility or wrongdoing for the injuries suffered by Lexas.
Although [Mother] has worked steadily after the birth of her fourth child and up to the time she was incarcerated, she has not paid any child support in the two years her children have been in custody.
In concluding that the conditions necessitating the removal of the children persisted, the trial court noted that Mother continued to deny any role in the abuse inflicted on Lexas while in her custody and had not followed through on the psychological evaluator's recommendations. The trial court also noted that, on at least two occasions, Mother "attended visitation with the children battered and bruised," yet had not completed the recommended domestic violence classes. At the time of the hearing, Mother was incarcerated and hoped to move into a halfway house upon her release from incarceration. Prior to her incarceration, Mother lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a friend, an arrangement not suitable for her four children.
Mother argues that she "will be able to correct the conditions which led to the children's removal from her home at an early date." She emphasizes that she no longer resides with Father (presumably, before her incarceration), that she completed some parenting classes, and that she continues to work on relationship issues during visitation with the help of the behavioral therapists. In light of the history of volatility and violence between Mother and Father, we agree that Mother's decision not to live with Father appears to be a step in the right direction. We also acknowledge that Mother has made an effort to work on her parenting skills during visitation. These steps do not, however, overcome the weight of the substantial countervailing evidence pointing to the conclusion that "[t]here is little likelihood that these conditions will be remedied at an early date so that the child can be safely returned to the parent(s) or guardian(s) in the near future." Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3)(B).
Father
The conditions necessitating the removal of the children from Father relate to his inability to care for them, particularly his failure to maintain steady employment or stable housing. In its finding of fact, the court made the following pertinent findings:
[Father] has not complied with the provisions of his permanency plan. He has not sought out additional parenting education classes per the recommendation of his mental health evaluation, has failed to maintain steady employment and has not obtained stable housing. [Father] has also lived at five different addresses in less than two years.
. . . .
[Father] has demonstrated a cavalier attitude towards the courts, the laws of the State of Tennessee and the laws of the United States. . . . According to the Court's calculation, [Father] owed $1,793.50 [in child support] and paid $644.04, which is only 36% of the total due. Despite testifying that he made `plenty of money,' he paid no child support for the first year the children were in custody. Additionally, when he had extra income, i.e. the income tax return, he did not use those funds towards the support of his children. [Father] is an able bodied man capable of working and supporting his children. He has not done so. Furthermore, [Father] was on probation until September 4, 2008. . . . He was arrested three times during his probationary period and pled guilty to two of those charges. . . .
[Father] has continued to drive without a valid driver's license and car insurance and has stated that he will continue to do so. On the second day of the termination trial, he disclosed he drove to Court. Lastly, he admitted he did not report the $16,000 income he received from his CD on his income taxes.
. . . .
[Father] continues to break the law. While he wants the Court to believe that he has attained housing stability, the Court is cognizant of the fact that in June 2008 he told service providers that he was getting his house ready. Moreover, he relayed the same information to the Court in September 2008. Nine months after the termination petition was filed and during the middle of the trial, [Father] presented documentation of a month to month lease. Based on his previous transient lifestyle, the Court has no confidence that this last minute lease is indicative of long-term stability. His eleventh hour efforts to comply with the basic core of the permanency plan is evidence of [Father's] insufficient efforts and poor judgment. In September 2007, the lower Court found the children to be dependent and neglected due to the father's inability to care for them. There has been very little change in the father's ability to care for them since that time.
The trial court went on to make a specific finding that Father was not a credible witness.
In determining that the conditions necessitating the children's removal persisted with respect to Father, the court stated:
Father has demonstrated his instability in several ways, most notably in his housing and employment. As previously noted, [Father] has had at least five different residences and has used six mailing addresses in a span of two years. Literally, on the eve of the second day of the trial, he signs a month-to-month lease on a residence and had the electricity turned on. The Court has no confidence that he will maintain this residence.
The trial court also noted that Father had been arrested three times since the children were removed from his custody. While Father claimed to have adequate income from his recording studio and money from a Pell Grant, he failed to cover his living expenses and his child support obligations. In addition, the behavior specialists who supervised the parents' visits expressed doubts about whether Father was capable of supervising the children outside of a controlled setting.
Father argues that he has "taken steps to address the issues that initially brought the children into DCS custody." He asserts in particular that he has visited the children regularly, completed a mental health assessment and parenting evaluation, received parenting training with the behavior specialists at visits, completed domestic violence classes, leased a house, sought regular employment without success, pursued his music career, and gone back to school to work on an associate's degree. Unfortunately, despite Father's efforts, he was without a documented, stable income or housing suitable for the children at the time of the hearing.
The trial court's determination with respect to Father rested in large part upon its assessment of his credibility, an assessment to which a reviewing court must accord considerable deference. Whirlpool Corp. v. Nakhoneinh, 69 S.W.3d 164, 167 (Tenn. 2002). We must conclude that the trial court's decision is supported by clear and convincing evidence.
At the time of the hearing, the oldest three children had already been in state custody for over two years, and the youngest child for about 21 months. Citing the legislative intent behind the termination statutes, the trial court observed: "In this case, continuation of the children's relationship with Mother and Father would prevent their adoption and mean that they would spend their childhood in foster care, with no permanent home." The evidence does not preponderate against the trial court's factual findings, and there is clear and convincing evidence to support the trial court's legal conclusions that the statutory elements of Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3) are met in this case with respect to Mother and Father. Having found clear and convincing evidence to support the trial court's determinations as to both parents under the ground of persistence of conditions, we deem it unnecessary to address the remaining grounds.
Best interest
DCS was also required to prove by clear and convincing evidence that termination "is in the best interests of the child[ren]." Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(c)(2); In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d at 546. In making a determination as to whether termination was in the best interest of the children, the trial court was required to consider the non-exclusive list of factors set out in Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(I):
(1) Whether the parent or guardian has made such an adjustment of circumstance, conduct, or conditions as to make it safe and in the child's best interest to be in the home of the parent or guardian;
(2) Whether the parent or guardian has failed to effect a lasting adjustment after reasonable efforts by available social services agencies for such duration of time that lasting adjustment does not reasonably appear possible;
(3) Whether the parent or guardian has maintained regular visitation or other contact with the child;
(4) Whether a meaningful relationship has otherwise been established between the parent or guardian and the child;
(5) The effect a change of caretakers and physical environment is likely to have on the child's emotional, psychological and medical condition;
(6) Whether the parent or guardian, or other person residing with the parent or guardian, has shown brutality, physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect toward the child, or another child or adult in the family or household;
(7) Whether the physical environment of the parent's or guardian's home is healthy and safe, whether there is criminal activity in the home, or whether there is such use of alcohol or controlled substances as may render the parent or guardian consistently unable to care for the child in a safe and stable manner;
(8) Whether the parent's or guardian's mental and/or emotional status would be detrimental to the child or prevent the parent or guardian from effectively providing safe and stable care and supervision for the child; or
(9) Whether the parent or guardian has paid child support consistent with the child support guidelines promulgated by the department pursuant to § 36-5-101.
Ascertaining whether termination is in a child's best interest is necessarily a fact-intensive inquiry. In re Giorgianna H., 205 S.W.3d 508, 523 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). Moreover, the best interest analysis "does not call for a rote examination of each of Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(i)'s nine factors and then a determination of whether the sum of the factors tips in favor of or against the parent." In re Audrey S., 182 S.W.3d 838, 878 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005). Rather, "[t]he relevancy and weight to be given each factor depends on the unique facts of each case." Id.
The trial court made detailed findings concerning the statutory factors. Under factor 1, the court found by clear and convincing evidence that neither parent had made an adjustment of circumstances, citing Mother's incarceration on abuse charges, Father's three arrests and two guilty pleas since the children's removal, Mother's unaddressed mental health concerns, and the parents' "volatile on-again, off-again relationship." As to factor 2, the court found by clear and convincing evidence that both parents had failed to effect a lasting adjustment, citing their inability to maintain safe and appropriate housing for the children after almost a year and a half of DCS intervention. The court credited parents for maintaining visitation with the children, factor 3, but found that "there is no meaningful relationship between the parents and children," factor 4. As to the latter factor, the court noted testimony that the children had expressed reluctance to go on visits, that Father sometimes "did not interact with the children at the visit," and that the children were confused as to who Mother and Father were.
The court concluded, with respect to factor 5, that taking the children from the loving, stable environment of their foster home would be "an emotional setback" for the children, who were bonded with the foster parents. As to factor 6, the court noted Mother's physical abuse of Lexas and the domestic violence between Mother and Father. The court further found that neither parent had a stable home, factor 7; that Mother had unresolved mental health issues preventing her from providing safe and stable care to the children, factor 8; and that neither parent had paid child support consistently, factor 9.
We find that the trial court's best interest determination is supported by clear and convincing evidence. As the trial court recognized, it is clear that Mother and Father love their children. Unfortunately, their course of conduct has shown them to be incapable of providing the safety, stability, and care their children require. As the trial court observed, if the parents' rights are not terminated, "these children will not be able to achieve permanency through adoption and will languish in foster care and the uncertainty it brings."
CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed above, we affirm the trial court's decision. Costs of appeal are assessed against the appellants, for which execution may issue if necessary.