M.D., the Father v. State of Florida, Department of Children and Families

M.D. (“the Father”) timely appeals a final judgment terminating his parental rights as to his four-year-old daughter based bn a finding that he abandoned her. Because competent, substantial evidence supports the trial court’s judgment, we affirm.

The child has been sheltered on and off her entire life, the first time just a few days after her birth. In January 2015, the Department of Children and Families (“the Department”) petitioned for termination of each parent’s parental rights, 1 The petition alleged that the Father abandoned the child as defined in section 39.01, Florida Statutes, in…