In re A.F.

Citations

• 2020 Ohio 5069

Syllabus

CHILDREN – CUSTODY: The juvenile court did not err in granting permanent custody of two of mother's children to the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services where permanent custody was in the children's best interest because their fathers had abandoned them and their mother, although she had complied with some of the case plan requirements, had not demonstrated the level of behavioral change necessary to provide a safe, stable home for her children. The record shows that the juvenile court considered all the required factors, including those set forth in R.C. 2151.414(7) to (11) as required by R.C. 2151.414(D)(1)(c), where the c0urt specifically stated that it had considered those factors but had determined that they did not apply to mother. [In re B/K Children, 1st Dist. Hamilton No. C-190269, 2019-Ohio-5503, distinguished.] The juvenile court did not abuse its discretion in granting legal custody of one of mother's children to the child's stepmother where the child could not be returned to mother and where the stepmother had a significant relationship with the child and had provided care for the child for a significant amount of the child's life, where the agency had no concerns about stepmother's willingness to provide the child a home or willingness to engage the child in services, and where stepmother was willing to facilitate visits between the child and her parents.