The mother of ten-year-old D. W. appeals the juvenile court’s order terminating her parental rights, contending that the evidence was insufficient to support the termination. For reasons that follow, we disagree and affirm.On appeal, we must determine whether, after reviewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the lower court’s judgments, any rational trier of fact could have found by clear and convincing evidence that the natural parent’s rights to custody have been lost. This Court neither weighs evidence nor determines the credibility of witnesses; rather, we defer to the trial court’s fact-finding and affirm unless the appellate standard is not met.1Viewed as such, the evidence shows that the juvenile court placed D. W. in shelter care on February 28, 2006, finding that the mother’s whereabouts were unknown, and that the father, who had tested positive for methamphetamine, had not legitimated the child. Following the 72-hour hearing, the juvenile court placed temporary custody of the child with the Douglas County Department of Family and Children Services the “Department”. On July 28, 2006, the juvenile court adjudicated D. W. to be a deprived child. That order was not appealed. The juvenile court found that the mother: was then incarcerated; appeared once on the case; submitted to a single drug screen, which was positive for methamphetamine; had a history of issues of substance abuse and mental health for which she was not receiving treatment; and failed to obtain housing or employment.
The juvenile court incorporated the reunification case plan, initially filed March 20, 2006, into the adjudication order. Pursuant to the case plan, the mother was required to refrain from the use of illegal drugs and alcohol, obtain a substance abuse assessment, submit to random drug and alcohol screens, complete a psychological evaluation and follow all recommendations of that evaluation, attend parenting classes, obtain and maintain employment and provide verification upon request, and obtain and maintain housing sufficient to meet her needs and the needs of the child, among other things.
