IN RE JAYNIA LYNN VANLANHAM MINOR
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
In the Matter of JAYNIA LYNN VANLANHAM,
Minor.
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,
UNPUBLISHED
May 6, 2008
Petitioner-Appellee,
v
No. 282767
Saginaw Circuit Court
Family Division
LC No. 07-029900-NA
SHARICE VANLANHAM,
Respondent-Appellant,
and
LARRY WASHINGTON,
Respondent.
Before: White, P.J., and Hoekstra and Smolenski, JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Respondent Sharice Vanlanham appeals as of right from the trial court order terminating
her parental rights to the minor child under MCL 712A.19b(3)(i), (l), and (m). We affirm.
Respondent argues that petitioner did not make reasonable efforts to work with her and
provide services to reunite her with her child. However, petitioner was not required to make
reasonable efforts to work with respondent toward reunification because petitioner sought
termination at the initial dispositional hearing based on respondent’s prior terminations of
parental rights to three older children. MCR 3.977(E); MCL 712A.19b(4). Nevertheless we find
that petitioner made reasonable efforts since respondent had been offered services almost
continually since 2004. Even after Jaynia was taken out of respondent’s care, petitioner
continued to refer respondent to parenting programs, counseling, and substance abuse treatment.
The trial court also did not clearly err in finding that the statutory grounds for termination
were established by clear and convincing evidence. MCR 3.977(J); In re Miller, 433 Mich 331,
337; 445 NW2d 161 (1989). Further, the evidence did not show that the child’s best interests
precluded termination of respondent’s parental rights. MCL 712A.19b(5); In re Trejo Minors,
462 Mich 341, 356-357; 612 NW2d 407 (2000). The minor child tested positive for marijuana at
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birth and was removed from respondent’s care as a newborn infant. Respondent had not sought
prenatal care when pregnant with the child and did not have adequate housing or income to
support the child. Respondent’s abusive relationship with Larry Washington, the child’s father,
continued until about ten days before Jaynia’s birth, when Washington was arrested and jailed.
Washington had physically attacked respondent when she was pregnant with another daughter,
for which he was convicted of domestic violence. These conditions existed at the time of
Jaynia’s birth, despite the multitude of services that petitioner had made available to respondent
since 2004. Respondent had been involved with petitioner when three of her other children were
taken into the trial court’s custody and her parental rights to them terminated voluntarily and
involuntarily. Respondent had physically abused one of her children and was convicted of
domestic violence. The evidence that respondent was still using drugs, was still involved with
Washington, and still did not have adequate housing or income provided clear and convincing
evidence that prior attempts to rehabilitate respondent were unsuccessful. The trial court
properly concluded that the evidence supported termination of respondent’s parental rights and
that termination was not clearly contrary to the child’s best interests.
Affirmed.
/s/ Helene N. White
/s/ Joel P. Hoekstra
/s/ Michael R. Smolenski
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