The Department appealed from a juvenile court order selecting legal guardianship as the permanent plan for the minor based on a sibling relationship exception to termination of parental rights. The minor had never lived with her siblings, who were in a guardianship with their grandmother, but she had always visited them and had strong bonds with them. The juvenile court noted that the siblings had been a “constant thread” in the minor’s life. There was powerful evidence that it would be in the minor’s best interest to continue her relationship with her siblings, and some doubt about whether visitation would continue without the guardianship. The juvenile court’s conclusion that legal guardianship was necessary to ensure continuation of the sibling relationship was supported by substantial evidence, and therefore will not be disturbed.
Case Summaries