J.C., THE MOTHER, AND H.C., THE FATHER, APPELLANTS,
v.
THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES, ET AL., APPELLEES

Fla. 3d DCA | 2010-01-27
Nos. 3D09-2337, 3D09-2164
Schwartz, Senior Judge
26 So. 3d 665 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (2010) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

Florida appellate court reversed termination of parental rights judgments because the trial court failed to establish any statutory basis for the drastic remedy, specifically failing to show under Fla. Stat. § 39.806(1)(c) that continued interaction with the parents threatened the children's life, safety, or health in a manner that could not be remedied by services.


Holding

Parental rights termination requires a showing under Fla. Stat. § 39.806(1)(c) that continued interaction with the parent threatens the child's life, safety, or health and that this threat cannot be remedied by provision of services.


Headnotes

[1] Termination of parental rights under Fla. …

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Key Quotes

“'continued interaction with the parent threatens the life, safety, or health of the child, and ... that this threat cannot be remedied by the provision of services.'”

The court quoted the statutory requirement from section 39.806(1)(c) that must be satisfied to justify termination of parental rights.

Facts & Procedural History

J.C., the mother of two young children (ages three and eighteen months), and H.C., the father of the older child, had their parental rights terminated…

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Opinion of the Court
SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.

SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.

J.C., the mother of three-year-old G.C. and eighteen-month-old J.C., and H.C., the father of G.C.,1 appeal from final judgments terminating their parental rights to those children. Although there are several other procedural and substantive issues which give us pause as to the legal sufficiency of the proceedings below, we reverse the judgments and remand for further proceedings on the fundamental ground that there was no showing of any statutory basis justifying that drastic remedy as to either child or either parent. With the immaterial distinction that the parents’ alleged inadequacies arose from drug use, rather than, as in this case, mental illness, the facts of the recent case of In re S.F., 22 So.3d 650 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009), are almost identical. Most importantly, as in S.F., there was no showing, as required by the only even arguably applicable provision, section 39.806(l)(c), Florida Statutes (2008), that “ ‘continued interaction with the parent threatens the life, safety, or health of the child, and ... that this threat cannot be remedied by the provision of services.’ ” In re S.F., 22 So.3d at 653 (quoting T.H. v. Dep’t of Children & Family Servs., 979 So.2d 1075, 1082 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008)). See also C.C. v. Dep’t of *666 Children & Family Servs., 812 So.2d 520 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002).

Reversed and remanded.


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Citator

Cited By

  • A.H. the mother v. Dep't OF Child. & Families, 77 So. 3d 232 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011)
    …ely establish, as required, that “continued interaction with the [mother] threatens the life, safety, or health of the childfren], and ... that this threat cannot be remedied by the provision of services.”1 J.C. v. Dep’t of Children & Family Servs., 26 So. 3d 665, 665 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010) (quoting In re S.F., 22 So. 3d 650, 653 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009)). Here, the evidence showed that, albeit without always following her case safety plan in every respect or achieving success in doing so, the mother conscientiously e…

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