Toliver v. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services

217 S.W.3d 85, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 9288, 2006 WL 3030163
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 26, 2006
Docket01-06-00292-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by137 cases

This text of 217 S.W.3d 85 (Toliver v. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Toliver v. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services, 217 S.W.3d 85, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 9288, 2006 WL 3030163 (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

TERRY JENNINGS, Justice.

In this accelerated appeal, 1 appellants, Zenobia Toliver, Montravian Martin, and Marcus Holloway, challenge the trial court’s order, entered after a bench trial, terminating their parental rights to their respective minor children, D.H., Z.M., and A.R. 2 In six issues, Toliver contends that the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support the trial court’s findings that she engaged in conduct or knowingly placed the children with persons who engaged in conduct which endangered the physical or emotional well-being of the *89 children; 3 she failed to support the children in accordance with her ability during a period of one year ending within six months of the filing of the petition; 4 she constructively abandoned the children, who had been in the temporary managing con-servatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (“DFPS”) for not less than six months; 5 she failed to comply with the provisions of a court order that specifically established the actions necessary for her to obtain the return of her children; 6 she used a controlled substance in a manner that endangered the health and safety of her children and failed to complete a court-ordered substance abuse treatment program; 7 and the termination of the parent-child relationship between Toliver and her children was in the children’s best interest. 8

In two issues, Martin contends that the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support the trial court’s findings that termination of the parent-child relationship between Martin and Z.M. was in Z.M.’s best interest 9 and that the trial court erred in terminating his parental rights to Z.M. on the basis that he did not timely file an admission of paternity. 10

In three issues, Holloway contends that the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support the trial court’s findings that “he engaged in any conduct or knowingly placed or allowed [D.H.] to remain in conditions or surroundings which endangered the physical or well-being of [D.H.],” 11 he “had his parent-child relationship terminated with respect to another child based on findings that the parent’s conduct was in violation of Paragraph (D) or (E) ...,” 12 and termination of the parent-child relationship between Holloway and D.H. was in D.H.’s best interest. 13

We affirm the order in part and reverse and remand in part.

Factual and Procedural Background

Katy Leacroy, the DFPS case worker originally assigned to the case, testified that, at the time of trial, D.H. was ten-years old, Z.M. was eight-years old, and A.R. was four-years old. Leacroy stated that D.H. suffers from osteogenesis imper-fecta, also known as “brittle bone,” is confined to a wheelchair, and has fragile bones subject to being easily broken.

Toliver

Leacroy began working with Toliver in July 2008 because of allegations of medical neglect, narcotics use, and “domestic disturbances between [Toliver] and boyfriends.” DFPS received “several reports ... that [Toliver] was ... snorting cocaine,” and Leacroy learned of an allegation that after D.H. had broken his legs at school, he “wasn’t taken to the hospital immediately.” DFPS requested that To-liver undergo narcotics testing and take parenting classes. Toliver initially stated that she did not need parenting classes, denied narcotics use, and refused substance abuse services. During the year *90 before DFPS sought custody of the children, Toliver “failed to submit urine samples on several occasions.” Toliver subsequently agreed to a drug and alcohol evaluation only after DFPS decided “to pursue court action.”

DFPS introduced into evidence Toliver’s records from “Turning Point,” a substance abuse treatment program. These records reflect that counselors had made home-based visits to conduct random narcotics tests on February 20, 2004 and March 12, 2004 and that Toliver refused those tests, stating that “if she never submitted a urinalyses she would never be submitting a positive sample.” On March 29, 2004, during another home-based visit, although To-liver was not home, the counselor was told that Toliver “continues to1 use mood altering chemicals and comes and goes regularly.” Counselors made home visits on May 18, 2004, May 28, 2004, and June 28, 2004, and Toliver was not home or did not answer the door. Counselors left notes requesting Toliver to contact Turning Point. On July 28, 2004, a counselor called DFPS and obtained a new address for Toliver in Galveston. When Toliver was finally tested in August 2004, she tested positive for cocaine on August 17, 23, 27, and 30.

On September 21, 2004, Toliver and Holloway agreed to a mediated settlement agreement with DFPS, which was incorporated into a court order, wherein DFPS was named managing conservator of the children, Toliver was ordered to pay child support in the amount of $40 per month for Z.M. and A.R., and Holloway was ordered to pay child support in the amount of $100 per month for D.H. The mediated settlement agreement required Toliver to follow all recommendations made as a result of a narcotics evaluation, and Toliver was specifically ordered to take a urinalysis “today” and to “go inpatient” if the results were positive. The agreement admonished Toliver that a “failure to comply with the terms and conditions of this agreement” could result “in additional orders” and that Toliver’s parental rights could “be restricted or terminated” if she was unable to provide the children with a safe environment. On October 14, 2004, the trial court again ordered Toliver to take a urinalysis and to submit to inpatient treatment if her results were positive or attend substance abuse meetings “seven days a week” if her results were negative.

On cross-examination, Leacroy agreed that Toliver was not present at school when D.H. broke his legs. She acknowledged that Toliver had “completed parenting” classes. Leacroy also agreed that she not an active participant in the case after the mediation. Leacroy conceded that DFPS’s removal of the children from To-liver’s home was not based on any actions by Martin and that DFPS had not requested any services of Martin.

Sheri Brewster, the DFPS case worker for the children since October 2004, testified concerning Toliver’s records from the ADA Women’s Center, an inpatient drug treatment facility. These records, which were admitted into evidence, reflected that Toliver was admitted to inpatient treatment at ADA on November 22, 2004, but was quickly discharged on November 29, 2004.

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Bluebook (online)
217 S.W.3d 85, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 9288, 2006 WL 3030163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/toliver-v-texas-department-of-family-protective-services-texapp-2006.