Adoption of M.E. v. State

2013 OK CIV APP 18, 296 P.3d 1267, 2013 WL 838290
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 25, 2013
DocketNo. 110,392
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2013 OK CIV APP 18 (Adoption of M.E. v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adoption of M.E. v. State, 2013 OK CIV APP 18, 296 P.3d 1267, 2013 WL 838290 (Okla. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

JOHN F. FISCHER, Presiding Judge.

{1 Petitioners/Appellants Jonathan Swim and Jaime Swim appeal the decision of the district court dismissing their Petition to adopt M.E., their former foster child, based upon a lack of eligibility to adopt. Because this Court finds the district court erred in its interpretation of 10 0.8.2001 § 7505-8.1(A)(9), we reverse and remand.

BACKGROUND

T2 M.E. was born in December 2006. In September 2007 when ME. was approximately 10 months old, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) placed ME. in foster care with the Swims. The parental rights of M.E.'s natural parents were terminated in June 2008 and November 2009. In early 2010, the Swims were being evaluated by DHS and preparations had been taken to approve the Swims' adoption of M.E. In the Individualized Service Plan for M.E. filed April 8, 2010, the DHS worker noted:

The adoption worker submitted the home study for approval, but the study was not approved and was stated by reader that a new re-assessment needed to be completed. The adoption worker is currently working on the re-assessment and will resubmit for on Wednesday 04/07/2010. approval

The ISP section concerning permanency for M.E. also noted "DHS is continuing to provide efforts to finalize the adoption."

{3 On approximately April 14, 2010, Mrs. Swim observed her fourteen-year-old son GRS lying on top of her seven-year-old daughter. Although the children were clothed, Mrs. Swim was concerned the conduct appeared sexually inappropriate. Mrs. Swim contacted DHS to report the conduct and immediately removed GRS from the home. On April 19, 2010, after an investigation was conducted by DHS and law enforcement, DHS removed all of the Swims' children from the home, including M.E.

TI 4 In April 2010, the State filed a deprived child action against the Swims on behalf of all of their children and sought termination of the Swims' parental rights. The State also instituted criminal delinquency proceedings against GRS. In May 2010, GRS stipulated to two charges of indecent and lewd acts with a minor child. The State filed felony charges against the Swims in May 2010 alleging the Swims allowed sexual abuse to occur in their home.

T5 GRS was adjudicated as delinquent and placed in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Juvenile Affairs, The Swims entered a no contest stipulation on behalf of each of their children and worked a treatment plan as to each child. The Swims children, exeept GRS, have all been returned to the home. The Swims pled no contest to reduced misdemeanor charges. Mr. Swim received a deferred sentence of one year, which has been discharged. Mrs. Swim received a deferred sentence of five years.

T6 After M.E.'s removal, the Swims were allowed in person and telephone visitation with M.E. By September 2010, the Swims visitation became more limited and was eventually terminated. The record shows that after her removal M.E. struggled to adjust and had multiple placements, including adoptive placements, fail.

T7 Although the Swims were no longer M.E.'s foster parents, they continued to ap[1269]*1269pear in M.E.'s juvenile proceedings. In June 2010, the Swims asked the district court to place M.E. back in their home and to allow them to adopt MBE. over the objection of DHS. The district court denied the Swims requests and recommended the Swims file a competing petition to adopt M.E. In August 2010, the Swims filed a Petition for Adoption of M.E. In October 2010, the Swims filed a motion to consolidate their adoption proceedings with the juvenile proceedings concerning M.E. to which the lawyer for the child (LPC) objected. The motion to consolidate was denied in November 2010.

{8 In October 2010, the Swims filed a Demand seeking proper notice from DHS concerning M.E.'s removal from their home and declaring an intention to object to M.E.'s removal. The Swims sought to compel such formal notice from DHS regarding M.E.'s removal in February 2011. The Swims did not file their objection to DHS's removal of M.E. until May 2011. In October 2011, the Swims filed a motion for the disclosure of DHS records, including the home study previously performed by DHS in preparation for the adoption of M.E. prior to her removal from the home. The Swims also filed motions seeking to compel the deposition testimony of the DHS employees and court appointed special advocates (CASA) involved in M.E.'s juvenile proceedings.

T9 The district court conducted a hearing on October 28, 2011. At the hearing, the district court stated, and all counsel agreed, the Swims' petition for adoption of M.E., which was not initially filed in the juvenile proceedings, had been administratively assigned to the district court and would be properly considered and ruled upon as part of the juvenile proceedings. The parties all agreed the State, DHS, CASA and the LFC would all object to the Swims' adoption of M.E. The LFC argued DHS would no longer provide a favorable home study for the Swims, so any further discovery in the case would be unnecessary. The district court recognized it, not DHS, had the ultimate authority to allow the adoption. DHS questioned whether an approved home study would be necessary to maintain a successful adoption.

110 The district court questioned the Swims' need for a copy of the prior DHS adoptive home study, as all parties agreed the conditions had changed subsequent to such study. The Swims claimed the prior study, which was to their knowledge completed days before the conduct of GRS was reported by Mrs. Swim, would be relevant to show whether there was any evidence the Swims had knowledge of GRS's behavior pri- or to the children's removal. The district court agreed if DHS had recently concluded the Swims' home was an excellent environment for M.E. immediately before her removal, such information might be relevant to consideration of the Swims as adoptive parents for M.E.

[ 11 On November 23, 2011, the LFC filed a motion requesting the district court order a new home study be completed of the Swims' home to determine if they could be considered an adoptive placement by the district court. In such motion, it was confirmed DHS would not approve the Swims as an adoptive placement and would not prepare a favorable home study on their behalf. On November 29, 2011, the LFC filed a motion to dismiss the Swims' Petition for Adoption pursuant to 10 0.$.2001 §§ 7505-8.1 for lack of a completed preplacement home study. In the motion to dismiss, the LFC alleged DHS had never completed an adoptive home study for the Swims in April 2010, and as such the Swims had no standing to pursue adoption of ME. as required by §§ 7505-8.1, 7505-5.1 and 7505-6.2. The LFC accused the Swims of falsely swearing in their Petition for Adoption that DHS had performed an adoptive home study.

112 On December 12, 2011, DHS filed a Court Addendum notifying the district court of the status of the Swims' adoptive home study. The Court Addendum indicated corrections to a prior Bridge Home Study of the Swims were being made for use as an adoption home study. Before the corrections were completed, a referral was received regarding the Swims resulting in all of the children being removed. Upon confirmation of the allegations of the referral, the permanency worker, adoption supervisor and permanency planning worker determined ME. would not [1270]*1270be placed back with the Swims and the adoption home study was being abandoned.

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Bluebook (online)
2013 OK CIV APP 18, 296 P.3d 1267, 2013 WL 838290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adoption-of-me-v-state-oklacivapp-2013.