In re Miracle C.

Syllabus

The respondent mother appealed from the judgment of the trial court termi- nating her parental rights with respect to her minor child. She claimed that the court erroneously concluded that the Department of Children and Families had made reasonable efforts at reunification pursuant to statute (§ 17a-112 (j) (1)) because, although the department's plan was to engage her in dialectical behavioral therapy, it failed to inform her that she should have engaged in that therapy. The court also found, pursuant to § 17a-112 (j) (1), that the mother was unable or unwilling to benefit from reunification efforts. Held that because the respondent mother, who did not challenge on appeal the trial court's finding that she was unable or unwilling to benefit from reunification efforts, chal- lenged only one of the two separate and independent bases for upholding the court's determination that the requirements of § 17a-112 (j) (1) had been satisfied, there existed a separate and independent basis for uphold- ing the court's determination, and, therefore, there was no practical relief that could be afforded to her; accordingly, the appeal was dismissed as moot. Argued October 6—officially released December 1, 2020