G.U., THE MOTHER, APPELLANT,
v.
THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, APPELLEE
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
The court held that there was competent, substantial evidence to support the trial court's finding of dependency based on the mother's actions and the children's emotional harm.
The Department of Children and Families filed a dependency petition after allegations of sexual abuse by the father. The mother did not believe the ab…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Dependency Adjudication cases and more on FLexlaw
The mother, G.U., appeals an order of adjudication of dependency as to her two minor children, E.A. and B.A. We affirm.
The Department of Children and Families filed a petition for adjudication of dependency following allegations that the father of the children had sexually abused them. After an evidentiary hearing, the trial court entered an order of dependency, finding the children had been “abused, abandoned and/or neglected pursuant to Florida Statute Chapter 39.”1 We conclude there is competent, substantial evidence to support this finding under sections 39.01(15)(a) and (32)(f), Florida Statutes (2009).
The mother admitted at the hearing that she does not believe her husband abused their daughters and does not believe she or the children need therapy. The mother also testified that she would like the father to move back into the family home with her and the children. Finally, the court-appointed psychologist testified that the children were being emotionally harmed by their mother’s refusal to believe their accusations against the father, and need to participate in family therapy with their mother. It is clear from the mother’s testimony that she will not seek therapy for herself or her children unless she is ordered to do so. Furthermore, the likelihood that the mother will allow the father’s return to the family home places the children’s emotional health in danger of significant impairment. See § 39.01(44), Fla. Stat. (2009).
Accordingly, we affirm the order of ad*587judication of dependency.2