M.A. v. Dep't of Children & Families

Full title: M.A., MOTHER OF L.A., A CHILD, Appellant, v. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND…

Court: DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA FIFTH DISTRICT

Date published: Nov 30, 2020

306 So. 3d 1279 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2020)

Opinion

Case No. 5D20-1869

11-30-2020

M.A., Mother of L.A., a Child, Appellant, v. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, Appellee.

Carl New, Ocala, for Appellant. Kelley Schaeffer, Appellate Counsel, Children's Legal Services, Bradenton, for Appellee. Thomasina F. Moore, Statewide Director of Appeals, and Joanna Summers Brunell, Senior Attorney, Appellate Division, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Tallahassee, and Cody L. Frank, of Brown Sims, P.C., Defending Best Interests Project, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Coral Gables, for Guardian ad Litem.

PER CURIAM.

Carl New, Ocala, for Appellant.

Kelley Schaeffer, Appellate Counsel, Children's Legal Services, Bradenton, for Appellee.

Thomasina F. Moore, Statewide Director of Appeals, and Joanna Summers Brunell, Senior Attorney, Appellate Division, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Tallahassee, and Cody L. Frank, of Brown Sims, P.C., Defending Best Interests Project, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Coral Gables, for Guardian ad Litem.

PER CURIAM. M.A. appeals the order terminating her parental rights to L.A. We affirm. The record supports the trial court's findings that the Department of Children and Families ("DCF") proved, by clear and convincing evidence, grounds for termination pursuant to section 39.806(1)(d)3., (1)(e)1., and (1)(e)3., Florida Statutes (2020). Because DCF was required to prove only one statutory ground for termination, we do not need to address whether the trial court correctly relied on other grounds for termination. See, e.g. , D.G. v. Dep't of Child. & Fams. , 250 So. 3d 871, 871 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018).

AFFIRMED.

EVANDER, C.J., ORFINGER and COHEN, JJ., concur.