In re: Adoption/G'ship of H.W.

Proceedings to terminate parental rights necessitate maintaining a delicate balance between a parent's constitutional right to raise their children, the State's interest in protecting children, and the child's best interests. Here, we return to the often-complicated question of exceptional circumstances in the context of terminating parental rights ("TPR") under Md. Code (1984, 2012 Repl. Vol.), § 5-323 of the Family Law Article ("FL"). We consider if, when assessing whether exceptional circumstances exist that make continuing the parental relationship detrimental to a child's best interests,…