In re S.F.

Citations

• 2020 Ohio 693

Syllabus

The juvenile court did not abuse its discretion in awarding permanent custody of a dependent child to Montgomery County Children Services instead of granting legal custody to the child's paternal grandmother. At the time of the final judgment, the child was 25 months old, had been in the agency's custody for 23 consecutive months, and had lived in the same foster home for nearly 19 months. Neither parent claimed to be able to provide a suitable home for the child in the foreseeable future, and the evidence showed that the child had bonded with the foster parents interested in adopting him the child had had only sporadic visits with the paternal grandmother, who lacked a documented record of income sufficient to meet the needs of this child and others in her care. Clear and convincing evidence supported the trial court's determination that the child's best interest would be served by awarding permanent custody to the agency. Judgment affirmed.