The mother of H. Y. and A. Y. appeals from the March 8, 2004 order of the Juvenile Court of Polk County terminating her parental rights, contending that the evidence was insufficient to support the trial court’s order and that the Department of Family and Children’s Services “DFACS” failed to conduct a thorough search for a suitable family with whom to place the children. Finding no error, we affirm. On appeal, we must view the evidence in a light most favorable to the juvenile court’s order and determine whether a rational trier of fact could have found by clear and convincing evidence that the parent’s rights should have been terminated. We do not weigh the evidence and must defer to the trial judge as the factfinder. Citations and punctuation omitted. In the Interest of K. A. C. , 229 Ga. App. 254, 255 3 493 SE2d 645 1997. Viewed in this light, the evidence shows that DFACS became involved with the mother and the children in November 1999, when they had an ongoing child protective services case with her. When the referral came in, the mother and the children were living out of a car. However, by the time a DFACS caseworker received the complaint, the mother and children were living with the mother’s sister-in-law. Because the sister-in-law had a current case with DFACS of her own, the caseworker felt it was best to separate the families. The mother rented a trailer in the same trailer park where her sister-in-law lived, and DFACS provided the mother with funds to pay rent and utilities for the first month, as well as furnishings necessary to provide a home for the children. The mother obtained employment at a Chevron station. The case was closed against the mother in March 2000, because the mother moved out of the county.
On October 27, 2000, DFACS received a second referral concerning the mother and the children. Upon investigation, DFACS learned that the mother and the children were living in a motel with the mother’s boyfriend. Based on allegations of domestic abuse and substance abuse in the children’s presence, the children were taken into custody. After the children came into DFACS custody, the mother admitted that her boyfriend was using crack cocaine and that there was domestic violence between the two of them. The mother further stated that she and her boyfriend moved into separate motels.
