MICHAEL A. WOLFF, Judge.
Introduction
M.D.R. was born in August 2000 when his mother, Lisa Williams, was incarcerat[471]*471ed at a Department of Corrections facility in Audrain County. M.D.R. has been in foster care since his birth, even after his mother was paroled in February 2001. The state brought this petition in the circuit court for termination of Ms. Williams’ parental rights in April 2002, after she had been released from prison. The state’s grounds for seeking termination included a provision in the statute requiring the state to seek termination of parental rights where a child has been in foster care for at least 15 of the previous 22 months. Section 211.447.2d).1
The circuit court terminated Ms. Williams’ parental rights, based in part on section 211.447.2(1) — that M.D.R. was in foster care for at least 15 of the previous 22 months — and based in part on evidence of neglect and other grounds under various provisions of section 211.447.4.
Ms. Williams appealed directly to this Court invoking this Court’s exclusive jurisdiction where the constitutionality of a state statute is challenged. Mo. Const, article V, section 3. Ms. Williams gave notice to the Attorney General as to the challenge to the constitutionality of the statute. The Attorney General briefed the issue and argued that the statute is constitutional. The juvenile officer, on behalf of the Division of Family Services, briefed and argued the merits of the state’s claim as to the sufficiency of the evidence for terminating the mother’s parental rights.
This Court concludes that section 211.447.2(1) does not make foster-care custody for at least 15 of the previous 22 months a ground for terminating parental rights. Having resolved the issue by which Ms. Williams invokes this Court’s jurisdiction, her appeal is transferred to the Court of Appeals for resolution of the other issues raised. See, Alumax Foils, Inc. v. City of St. Louis, 939 S.W.2d 907 (Mo. banc 1997).
Facts
M.D.R., the child, was born to Ms. Williams, the mother, on August 24, 2000, at Audrain Medical Center in Audrain County. At the time of the child’s birth, the mother was incarcerated by the Department of Corrections in Vandalia. The man named by the mother as the child’s father also was incarcerated by the Department of Corrections in a correctional facility in Licking. At the mother’s request, the Division of Family Services took the newborn child into protective custody at the hospital. There were no relatives available to care for the child during the mother’s incarceration. The child was placed with a foster family in Mexico, Au-drain County. For most of the remainder of the mother’s incarceration, she had weekly supervised visits with the child.
When the mother was released from prison on parole, she settled in the St. Louis area where she had other children in foster care. The Division of Family Services said it was unable to obtain a placement for the child in the St. Louis area, so the child remained in Audrain County, 150 miles away. The mother and the division apparently were unable to arrange any visits with the child after the mother’s release from prison.
The mother was employed for part of the time she was on parole, but was unable to obtain permanent housing. Prior to the termination hearing, the mother was again incarcerated as a result of a parole violation. The child has remained in foster care.
The Statute Regarding the Amount of Time a Child is in Foster Care
Ms. Williams asserts that section [472]*472211.447.2(1)2, which requires the filing of a petition for termination of parental rights when a child has been in foster care for at least 15 of the previous 22 months, is unconstitutional as it has been interpreted by Missouri courts. The main point of her argument is that the statute should not be construed so that 15 months in foster care is also grounds for termination of parental rights. Various Missouri courts, however, have interpreted this statute to make 15 months in foster care custody a ground for termination.3
Before reaching the constitutional challenge, it is appropriate for this Court to consider construing the statute in such a way as to avoid the constitutional challenge. State ex rel. Union Electric v. Public Service Commission, 687 S.W.2d 162, 165 (Mo. banc 1985).
Proper statutory construction starts with the words of the statute. In most cases, it ends there, as well. If the words of the statute are unclear or ambiguous, the Court may review the earlier versions of the law, or examine the whole act to discern its, evident purpose, or consider the problem that the statute was enacted to remedy. Bachtel v. Miller County Nursing Home District, 110 S.W.Bd 799, 801 (Mo.banc 2003).
Ms. Williams argues that if section 211.447.2(1) is used as grounds for termination rather than solely a trigger for filing a termination petition, it violates the Due Process Clauses of the United States Constitution and of the Missouri Constitution because it permits termination of parental rights without a finding of unfitness. See, Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745,102 S.Ct. 1388, 71 L.Ed.2d 599 (1982). The fundamental liberty' interest of natural parents in raising their children does not evaporate simply because they have not been model parents or have lost temporary custody to the State. Id. at 753,102 S.Ct. 1388.
Section 211.447, the termination statute, sets out standards that guide the state as to when it should or must file a termination petition and guide a court in examining parental fitness and the best interests of the child when considering termination of parental rights. Subsections 2, 3, and 4 of section 211.447 contain subdivisions that direct or authorize a juvenile officer or the Division of Family Services to file a petition for the termination of parental rights and delimit criteria for filing.
[473]*473A reading of section 211.4474 in its entirety shows there is no constitutional is[475]*475sue. Subsection 2 of section 211.447 lists certain circumstances, the existence of which require the juvenile officer or the division to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the child’s parent or parents. This subsection does not label these circumstances “grounds for termination.” In contrast, subsection 4 of section 211.447 enumerates certain parental conduct, the existence of which permits a juvenile officer or the division to file a petition to terminate parental rights and explicitly labels these circumstances “grounds for termination.” Subsection 3 of section 211.447 provides exceptions to subsection 2 where the juvenile officer or division of family services may exercise discretion in filing a petition when the “grounds ... for termination” enumerated in subsection 2 exist. In addition, subsection 5, which sets out the requirements for termination, refers to the grounds for “termination pursuant to subsection 2, 3 or 4 of this section.”
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MICHAEL A. WOLFF, Judge.
Introduction
M.D.R. was born in August 2000 when his mother, Lisa Williams, was incarcerat[471]*471ed at a Department of Corrections facility in Audrain County. M.D.R. has been in foster care since his birth, even after his mother was paroled in February 2001. The state brought this petition in the circuit court for termination of Ms. Williams’ parental rights in April 2002, after she had been released from prison. The state’s grounds for seeking termination included a provision in the statute requiring the state to seek termination of parental rights where a child has been in foster care for at least 15 of the previous 22 months. Section 211.447.2d).1
The circuit court terminated Ms. Williams’ parental rights, based in part on section 211.447.2(1) — that M.D.R. was in foster care for at least 15 of the previous 22 months — and based in part on evidence of neglect and other grounds under various provisions of section 211.447.4.
Ms. Williams appealed directly to this Court invoking this Court’s exclusive jurisdiction where the constitutionality of a state statute is challenged. Mo. Const, article V, section 3. Ms. Williams gave notice to the Attorney General as to the challenge to the constitutionality of the statute. The Attorney General briefed the issue and argued that the statute is constitutional. The juvenile officer, on behalf of the Division of Family Services, briefed and argued the merits of the state’s claim as to the sufficiency of the evidence for terminating the mother’s parental rights.
This Court concludes that section 211.447.2(1) does not make foster-care custody for at least 15 of the previous 22 months a ground for terminating parental rights. Having resolved the issue by which Ms. Williams invokes this Court’s jurisdiction, her appeal is transferred to the Court of Appeals for resolution of the other issues raised. See, Alumax Foils, Inc. v. City of St. Louis, 939 S.W.2d 907 (Mo. banc 1997).
Facts
M.D.R., the child, was born to Ms. Williams, the mother, on August 24, 2000, at Audrain Medical Center in Audrain County. At the time of the child’s birth, the mother was incarcerated by the Department of Corrections in Vandalia. The man named by the mother as the child’s father also was incarcerated by the Department of Corrections in a correctional facility in Licking. At the mother’s request, the Division of Family Services took the newborn child into protective custody at the hospital. There were no relatives available to care for the child during the mother’s incarceration. The child was placed with a foster family in Mexico, Au-drain County. For most of the remainder of the mother’s incarceration, she had weekly supervised visits with the child.
When the mother was released from prison on parole, she settled in the St. Louis area where she had other children in foster care. The Division of Family Services said it was unable to obtain a placement for the child in the St. Louis area, so the child remained in Audrain County, 150 miles away. The mother and the division apparently were unable to arrange any visits with the child after the mother’s release from prison.
The mother was employed for part of the time she was on parole, but was unable to obtain permanent housing. Prior to the termination hearing, the mother was again incarcerated as a result of a parole violation. The child has remained in foster care.
The Statute Regarding the Amount of Time a Child is in Foster Care
Ms. Williams asserts that section [472]*472211.447.2(1)2, which requires the filing of a petition for termination of parental rights when a child has been in foster care for at least 15 of the previous 22 months, is unconstitutional as it has been interpreted by Missouri courts. The main point of her argument is that the statute should not be construed so that 15 months in foster care is also grounds for termination of parental rights. Various Missouri courts, however, have interpreted this statute to make 15 months in foster care custody a ground for termination.3
Before reaching the constitutional challenge, it is appropriate for this Court to consider construing the statute in such a way as to avoid the constitutional challenge. State ex rel. Union Electric v. Public Service Commission, 687 S.W.2d 162, 165 (Mo. banc 1985).
Proper statutory construction starts with the words of the statute. In most cases, it ends there, as well. If the words of the statute are unclear or ambiguous, the Court may review the earlier versions of the law, or examine the whole act to discern its, evident purpose, or consider the problem that the statute was enacted to remedy. Bachtel v. Miller County Nursing Home District, 110 S.W.Bd 799, 801 (Mo.banc 2003).
Ms. Williams argues that if section 211.447.2(1) is used as grounds for termination rather than solely a trigger for filing a termination petition, it violates the Due Process Clauses of the United States Constitution and of the Missouri Constitution because it permits termination of parental rights without a finding of unfitness. See, Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745,102 S.Ct. 1388, 71 L.Ed.2d 599 (1982). The fundamental liberty' interest of natural parents in raising their children does not evaporate simply because they have not been model parents or have lost temporary custody to the State. Id. at 753,102 S.Ct. 1388.
Section 211.447, the termination statute, sets out standards that guide the state as to when it should or must file a termination petition and guide a court in examining parental fitness and the best interests of the child when considering termination of parental rights. Subsections 2, 3, and 4 of section 211.447 contain subdivisions that direct or authorize a juvenile officer or the Division of Family Services to file a petition for the termination of parental rights and delimit criteria for filing.
[473]*473A reading of section 211.4474 in its entirety shows there is no constitutional is[475]*475sue. Subsection 2 of section 211.447 lists certain circumstances, the existence of which require the juvenile officer or the division to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the child’s parent or parents. This subsection does not label these circumstances “grounds for termination.” In contrast, subsection 4 of section 211.447 enumerates certain parental conduct, the existence of which permits a juvenile officer or the division to file a petition to terminate parental rights and explicitly labels these circumstances “grounds for termination.” Subsection 3 of section 211.447 provides exceptions to subsection 2 where the juvenile officer or division of family services may exercise discretion in filing a petition when the “grounds ... for termination” enumerated in subsection 2 exist. In addition, subsection 5, which sets out the requirements for termination, refers to the grounds for “termination pursuant to subsection 2, 3 or 4 of this section.”
These references to subsection 2 in subsections 3 and 5 do not transform the filing trigger of section 211.447.2(1) into a statutory ground for termination of parental rights. Subdivision 1 of subsection 2 identifies temporal information available to the division that requires a termination petition to be filed, but that does not demonstrate parental unfitness. The length of a child’s stay in foster care may have nothing to do with the parent’s ability or inability to care for the child but, instead, may be due to circumstances beyond the parent’s control, including the actions of the division itself. Subdivision 2 of subsection 2, a determination by a court that a parent has abandoned the child, and subdivision 3 of subsection 2, a determination by a court that a parent has committed certain criminal acts, on the other hand, identify conduct by the parents that requires a termination petition to be filed and that demonstrates parental unfitness and that are similar to grounds described in subsection 4. Moreover, all of the subdivisions in subsection 4 of section 211.447 that permit a termination petition to be filed and that are explicitly labeled “grounds for termination” identify conduct by the parent that demonstrates unfitness.
An examination of the federal statutes relating to foster care provides further guidance in interpreting section 211.447.2(1). The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (AACWA), 42 U.S.C. sections 620-628, 670-679a, created a program in which the federal govern[476]*476ment reimburses states for certain expenses incurred in the administration of state foster care and adoption services. To qualify for these funds, states are required to make “reasonable efforts” to reunify children with their parents. In practice, these “reasonable efforts” resulted in numerous children being stuck in foster care for indeterminate periods of time while the states attempted to rehabilitate their parents.
To remedy this and other problems with AACWA, Congress passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA) (Pub.L.105-89) (codified as amended in various sections of 42 U.S.C.). In ASFA, Congress addressed the question of how long states must pursue the goal of family reunification under the “reasonable efforts” standard. ASFA requires that to retain eligibility for federal funding, a state “shall file a petition to terminate the parental rights of [a] child’s parents” when the child “has been in foster care under the responsibility of the State for 15 of the most recent 22 months.” 42 USC 675.5(E). Thus, the 15 months is intended as a deadline to trigger the fifing of a termination petition and to begin permanency planning for the child.
Subsection 2 of section 211.447 was enacted in 1998 to bring Missouri into compliance with the ASFA and tracks the language of the federal statute. By considering the history and the circumstances of the enactment of subsection 2 and harmonizing the provisions of the termination statute in its entirety, it is clear that the legislature did not intend section 211.447.2(1) as a ground for termination, but rather solely as a trigger for filing a termination petition.
Termination of Parental Rights
Fifing the petition for termination of parental rights merely opens the door. The state must prove “by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence” that statutory grounds for termination exist. If grounds for termination exist, the state must then determine whether termination is in the best interests of the child.
The satisfaction of one statutory ground for termination is sufficient to terminate parental rights, if the termination is in the child’s best interest. In the Interest of E.L.B., 103 S.W.3d 774 (Mo.banc 2003). In this case, Mother’s parental rights were terminated on four statutory grounds in addition to section 211.447.2(1). The court found the following statutory grounds to be supported by clear, cogent and convincing evidence: sections 211.447.2(2)(b) or 211.447.4(l)(b) (abandonment); section 211.447.4(2) (prior adjudication of abuse or neglect); section 211.447.4(3) (child under juvenile court jurisdiction for one year, little likelihood that conditions will be remedied in the near future); and section 211.447.4(6) (parent presumed unfit where rights to one or more other children have been terminated in the past three years). It is appropriately left to the court of appeals to consider Ms. Williams’ challenge to the sufficiency of those determinations.
The decision to terminate parental rights is never an easy one, nor should it be. The statutory exhortation to act in the child’s best interest should not be a pretext for a hyper-technical application of statutory criteria to achieve a result where the child would be “better off’ in someone else’s care. “[Tjhere is little doubt that the Due Process Clause would be offended [i]f a State were to attempt the breakup of a natural family, over the objections of the parents ... without some showing of unfitness and for the sole reason that to do so was thought to be in the children’s best interests.” Santosky, 455 U.S. 745 at 753, 102 S.Ct. 1388, 71 L.Ed.2d 599.
[477]*477Conclusion
There is no constitutional objection to the other provisions of the statute under which the circuit court terminated Ms. Williams’ parental rights. Her other challenges to the circuit court’s decision shall be addressed by the court of appeals in an expedited manner as required by section 453.011.2. Case transferred.
All Concur.