Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Appeals court considers whether trial court erred in terminating mother's parental rights
Summary
An appellate panel heard arguments on whether a trial court had sufficient evidence to terminate a mother's parental rights in Department of Children and Families v. Mother (2025-0803). Counsel debated the sufficiency of findings about substance use, medical seizures, sibling caregiving and DCF's permanency planning.
An appellate panel of Justices Ariane Bueno, Joseph Dipkoff and Andrew D'Angelo heard oral argument in Department of Children and Families v. Mother (2025-0803), where the mother appeals the trial court's order terminating her parental rights.
Appellant Laura Smith told the panel the trial court erred in finding by clear and convincing evidence that the mother was "unfit to provide minimally acceptable care" and urged the court to vacate the termination and remand for further hearings. Smith said the child had food, clothing, shelter, medical care and school enrollment while in the mother's care and that, although an older sibling sometimes provided substitute caregiving, the mother remained the primary caregiver.
Smith highlighted several trial facts: the child missed 19 of about 180 school days in…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
