In re Charli M.

Syllabus

The respondent father appealed from the trial court's judgment rendered for the petitioner, the Commissioner of Children and Families, terminating the father's parental rights as to his minor child, C. On appeal, the father claimed, inter alia, that the court erred in concluding that the Department of Children and Families made reasonable efforts to reunify him with C. Held: The trial court's finding that the department made reasonable efforts to reunify the respondent father with C was supported by sufficient evidence in the record. The trial court properly determined, by clear and convincing evidence, that the respondent father failed to achieve such degree of personal rehabilitation as would encourage the belief that, within a reasonable time, considering the age and needs of C, he could assume a responsible position in her life. It was not improper for the trial court to rely on certain police reports in support of its finding that the respondent father was involved in incidents of domestic violence because the father did not object to the admission of the police reports at trial and the court considered and weighed the contents of the admitted police reports as only one factor supporting its ultimate conclusion that the father failed to rehabilitate. The trial court properly found that the respondent father's inconsistent visitation history with C, considered in light of the record in its entirety, supported the conclusion that the father failed to rehabilitate. The trial court properly credited the testimony of R, a court-appointed evaluator and expert in clinical and forensic psychology, and relied on that testimony in support of its conclusion that the father failed to rehabilitate In accordance with the spirit and intent of General Statutes § 46b-142 (b) and Practice Book § 79a-12, the names of the parties involved in this appeal are not disclosed. The records and papers of this case shall be open for inspection only to persons having a proper interest ther