Termination: T R v. Indiana Department of Child Services

Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided July 8, 2026·No. 26A-JT-00038·Published·Judge Brown

Opinion

IN THE

Court of Appeals of Indiana In re the Involuntary Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of: Te.R., K.R., and Ko.W. (Minor Children), and T.R. (Father) and K.W. (Mother), FILED Appellants-Respondents Jul 08 2026, 9:10 am

CLERK

Indiana Supreme Court

v. Court of Appeals and Tax Court

Indiana Department of Child Services, Appellee-Petitioner

and

Kids’ Voice of Indiana,

Appellee-Guardian Ad Litem

July 8, 2026

Court of Appeals Case No.

26A-JT-38

Appeal from the Marion Superior Court The Honorable Melanie Kendrick, Judge

Trial Court Cause Nos.

49D22-2506-JT-5984

49D22-2506-JT-5986

49D22-2506-JT-5987

Opinion by Judge Brown

Judges Bailey and Weissmann concur.

Brown, Judge.

[1] T.R. (“Father”) and K.W. (“Mother,” and together with Father, “Parents”) jointly appeal the involuntary termination of their parental rights to their minor children Ko.W, K.R., Te.R. (the “Children”). 1 We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.

Facts and Procedural History [2] Mother is the biological mother of Ko.W., born in July 2014, K.R., born in September 2016, and Te.R., born in April 2018. Father is the biological father of K.R. and Te.R. In 2022, law enforcement responded to a report that Parents were involved in an episode of domestic violence that “involved the discharge of a firearm.” Transcript Volume II at 10. On July 7, 2022, the Indiana Department of Child Services (“DCS”) filed a petition alleging that the

1 For ease and clarity in this consolidated appeal, we will generally refer to these minor children collectively as the Children. Mother challenges the termination order as to all three of the Children. However, Father is not the biological father of Ko.W., and thus he challenges only the trial court’s termination order with respect to K.R. and Te.R. The father of Ko.W. does not participate in this appeal.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 26A-JT-38 | July 8, 2026 Page 2 of 20

Children were children in need of services (“CHINS”) due to domestic violence, Parents’ history of substance abuse, and Parents’ inability to “provide the [C]hildren with a safe and stable home.” Exhibits Volume II at 59. 2 Following a hearing, at which Father failed to appear, 3 the trial court adjudicated the Children as CHINS but left them placed with Mother. At the time, Mother was living in an extended stay hotel. Within the first month, Mother decided she no longer wanted the Children in her custody and “dropped [the Children] off” at the DCS offices because she wanted them “to stabilize” and felt they would be “safer” in custody rather than “struggling” with her “in an extended stay hotel.” Transcript Volume II at 7. As Mother was “unwilling to provide for [the Children’s] basic needs and ha[d] abandoned them,” the court ordered the Children removed from Mother’s care. Exhibits Volume I at 74. The Children were placed together in foster care. On December 21, 2022, the court entered a dispositional decree ordering Mother into services.

[3] Father first appeared in the CHINS case on May 17, 2023, and began working with service providers in August 2023. The court entered a parental participation order on December 12, 2023. The court ordered Father to complete a domestic violence assessment and follow treatment

2 The record indicates Parents had history with DCS dating back to July 2015.

3 Father was initially served with notice of the CHINS proceedings by newspaper publication. As he failed to appear, he was found in default.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 26A-JT-38 | July 8, 2026 Page 3 of 20 recommendations, engage in home-based therapy and follow all recommendations, participate in Father Engagement services and follow all recommendations, and meet his own medical and mental health needs including medication management and provide proof to DCS.

[4] On June 26, 2024, the court held a review hearing. The court noted that the “case has been open for two years,” the Children have been removed from Mother for two years, and “Mother is not making progress.” Exhibits Volume I at 92. The court found that Father “made some progress, but then went to jail.” Id. The court approved a concurrent plan of reunification and adoption.

[5] On November 20, 2024, the court held a review hearing. DCS presented evidence that Mother was compliant with some services but her status as to other services was “uncertain.” Id. at 97. DCS presented evidence that Mother had been aggressive and defiant with services providers. The evidence indicated that Father was participating in therapeutic supervised parenting time and Father’s counsel noted that Father was engaging in “an intensive housing search but [had] not a lot of options due to his criminal history.” Id. Mother addressed the court and accused DCS of “dropping the ball” and not helping her the way she wanted. Id.

[6] The court held a review hearing on April 23, 2025. DCS presented evidence that Mother’s home-based case management “closed in January for lack of contact” but that the service was “re-referred” when Mother asked to re-engage in early April 2025. Id. at 100-101. DCS noted that Mother was “fairly compliant” with other services but she refused to participate in domestic violence services as ordered or random drug screens despite admitted regular marijuana use. Id. at 101. DCS presented evidence that Mother behaved inappropriately during supervised visitation with the Children and would not “accept redirection.” Id. Mother became “animated” during the hearing regarding her frustrations with DCS, with the court ultimately “mut[ing]” her “as there ha[d] been enough profanity and personal attacks.” Id. at 102. 4 As to Father, the evidence indicated that he was participating in services, was appropriate during visits with the Children, and had a connection with the Children. Father was living with his sister-in-law, looking for other housing, trying to obtain a driver’s license, and trying to secure reliable transportation.

[7] On June 16, 2025, DCS filed verified petitions to terminate both Father’s and Mother’s parental rights. The court appointed Kids’ Voice of Indiana as Guardian Ad Litem (“GAL”). The court held a factfinding hearing on November 4 and 18, 2025. On December 9, 2025, the court entered extensive findings of fact, conclusions thereon, and orders terminating the parent-child relationship between Parents and the Children.

4 The record indicates that the review hearings were conducted via video.

Discussion [8] Parents each challenge the termination of their parental rights. Regarding petitions seeking the termination of parental rights, Ind. Code § 31-35-2-4 provides in pertinent part that DCS must allege as follows:

(c) A petition filed under subsection (a) must allege:

(1) the existence of one (1) or more of the circumstances described in subsection (d);

(2) that there is a satisfactory plan for care and treatment of the child; and

(3) that termination of the parent-child relationship is in the child’s best interests.

(d) A petition filed under subsection (a) must allege the existence of one (1) or more of the following circumstances:

*****

(2) That:

(A) the child has been removed from the parent and has been under the supervision of a local office or probation department for at least fifteen (15) months of the most recent twenty-two (22) months, beginning with the date the child is removed from the home as a result of the child being alleged to be a child in need of services or a delinquent child; and

(B) despite the department’s reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify the child’s family under IC 31-34-

21-5.5, the parent has been unable to remedy the circumstances that resulted in the child being placed in care outside the parent’s home.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 26A-JT-38 | July 8, 2026 Page 6 of 20

(3) That there is a reasonable probability that the conditions that resulted in the child’s removal or the reasons for placement outside the home of the parents will not be remedied.

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Termination: T R v. Indiana Department of Child Services, (Ind. Ct. App. 2026).

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