AI Generated Opinion Summaries

This summary was computer-generated without any editorial revision. It is not official, has not been checked for accuracy, and is NOT citable.

Facts

• The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) took custody of two children due to allegations of abuse and neglect by their father, Juan V. The allegations included physical, emotional, or psychological abuse inflicted by the father, endangering the children's lives or health due to the father's actions, and the father's inability to discharge his parental responsibilities due to incarceration, hospitalization, or other physical or mental incapacity. The father was found to have left the children with their mother, who had a history of overusing medications, and was unable to care for the children due to his medication and mental disorders (paras 2-3).

Procedural History

• [Not applicable or not found]

Parties' Submissions

• Petitioner-Appellee (CYFD): Argued that the father was unable or unwilling to provide proper parental care or control for the children, despite CYFD's efforts to provide services and support designed to correct this inability or unwillingness (para 5).
• Respondent-Appellant (Father): Challenged the reasonableness of CYFD’s efforts to assist him in remedying the conditions and causes of his neglect and abuse as well as the amount of time CYFD made those efforts before moving to terminate his parental rights (para 8).

Legal Issues

• Whether the district court erred in finding that CYFD made reasonable efforts to assist the father in changing the causes and conditions that gave rise to the abuse and neglect of the children.
• Whether the amount of time before CYFD moved to terminate the father's parental rights was sufficient to demonstrate reasonable efforts.

Disposition

• The district court's judgment terminating the father's parental rights to the children was affirmed (para 19).

Reasons

• The Court of Appeals, with Judge Julie J. Vargas writing, and Chief Judge M. Monica Zamora and Judge Jacqueline R. Medina concurring, found substantial evidence supporting the district court's finding that CYFD made reasonable efforts to address the causes and conditions of abuse and neglect. The court noted that CYFD provided the father with various services, including parenting classes, supervised visitations, psychological evaluations, individual counseling, and drug testing. Despite these efforts, the father failed to fully engage with the services provided, missed visitations, and did not demonstrate appropriate parenting skills. The court also addressed the father's argument regarding the stereotyped values concerning his substance abuse and parenting skills, finding that CYFD's efforts were directed at the causes of the children's abuse and neglect. The court concluded that CYFD complied with the minimum required under law and that the father's failure to engage with the provided services justified the termination of his parental rights (paras 8-18).