Department of Human Services v. E. N.

In this termination of parental rights case, the juvenile court denied the Department of Human Services’s (DHS) petition to terminate mother’s parental rights to A, who was five and one-half years old at the time of the termination hearing. Both DHS and A appeal the resulting judgment, arguing that mother’s rights should be terminated because she is “unfit by reason of conduct or condition seriously detrimental to [A],” ORS 419B.504, and termination is in A’s best interests, ORS 419B.500. On de novo review, ORS 19.415(3)(a), we agree with DHS and A; accordingly, we reverse.

To terminate…