In Interest of Brown

BURNETT, Judge,

specially concurring.

Upon the record presented to us, I concur in upholding the magistrate’s decree. However, I believe more should be said about the application of our termination statutes to parents who suffer mental disorders. My framework for discussion is the public policy expressed in I.C. § 16-2001, that “wherever possible family life should be strengthened and preserved.” These words are not merely aspirational. They play an important role in the decision to terminate a parent-child relationship.

A termination decree may not issue unless the magistrate finds that a…