In re Ar.M.

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 751

Syllabus

Complaint for abuse and neglect, R.C. 2151.353(A)(4), request for permanent custody, cannot be placed with one of the child's parents within a reasonable time, should not be placed with either parent, R.C. 2151.414(D)(1), best interests of the child, clear and convincing evidence, R.C. 2151.414(E). Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (\CCDCFS\) filed a complaint alleging abuse and neglect, requesting temporary custody of twin four-year-old children. The trial court did not abuse its discretion by granting the agency permanent custody where it found the children cannot be placed with one parent in a reasonable time, should not be placed with either parent, and temporary custody was in the best interests of the children. There was clear and convincing record evidence sufficient to support the court's findings, which were not against the manifest weight of the evidence. This evidence included that the children had been previously found abused while under parents' care, resulting in injuries to Ar.M. that required significant, ongoing medical care; CCDCFS later became unable to locate the children because of mother's failure to communicate with her case worker; the children were eventually found with an inadequate caregiver who suffered from dementia; the children were dirty, dehydrated or severely underweight, requiring hospitalization; mother was incarcerated at time of trial facing charges of child endangering regarding these children; the children had been in temporary agency custody for more than half of their lives; and CCDCFS could not identify alternative adequate caregivers. Judgment affirmed.