In the Interest of C. G.

Evidence of the mother's unrehabilitated substance abuse and her failure to maintain a meaningful bond with her children, supported the termination of her parental rights.

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A juvenile court terminated the parental rights of the mother of minors C. G. and J. G. The mother moved for a new trial, but the trial court denied the motion. The mother appeals. 1. The mother contends that there is insufficient evidence that the cause of the children’s deprivation is likely to continue and that such continued deprivation is likely to cause serious harm to them. The contention is without merit.

In assessing the sufficiency of the evidence in a termination of parental rights case, we construe the evidence in favor of the lower court’s judgment. 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.1 Construed in favor of the juvenile court’s termination of the mother’s parental rights, the evidence shows that in March 2002, the children were taken into custody by the Department of Family and Children Services because the mother and the children’s father had both tested positive for illegal drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine. Eviction notices had also been filed at the family’s residence, and neither the mother nor father was employed. A deprivation hearing was held in April 2002, and the mother stipulated that the children were deprived. The juvenile court gave the department temporary custody of C. G. and J. G., finding deprivation based on unstable housing, the parents’ unresolved substance abuse problems and parenting issues in providing for the special needs of J. G., who has cerebral palsy.

In the Interest of C. G.

Evidence of the mother's unrehabilitated substance abuse and her failure to maintain a meaningful bond with her children, supported the termination of her parental rights.

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