IN RE SHARDAE LAREESA HUNTER MINOR
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
In the Matter of SHARDAE LAREESA HUNTER,
Minor.
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,
UNPUBLISHED
January 5, 2010
Petitioner-Appellee,
v
No. 291736
Wayne Circuit Court
Family Division
LC No. 92-300849-NA
SHEILAMA L. HUNTER, a/k/a SHEILAMA
LAREESA HUNTER,
Respondent-Appellant.
Before: Murphy, C.J., and Jansen and Zahra, JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Respondent appeals by right the order terminating her parental rights to the minor child
pursuant to MCL 712A.19b(3)(g), (i), and (j). We affirm. This appeal has been decided without
oral argument. MCR 7.214(E).
Clear and convincing evidence existed to support the trial court’s decision to terminate
respondent’s parental rights. MCL 712A.19b(3); In re Trejo, 462 Mich 341, 355; 612 NW2d
407 (2000).
Respondent has had eight prior terminations. Her parental rights to her three oldest
children were terminated after respondent failed to comply with the parent-agency agreement
(PAA). Although respondent is a developmentally disabled individual and was the subject of a
guardianship, it was determined that she was a trainable adult but did nothing to comply with the
PAA. Respondent’s parental rights to her next three children were terminated after she made no
attempt to contact or communicate with the children once they were placed in foster care and
failed to comply with the PAA. In addition to finding that respondent had no interest in caring
for the children, the referee found that her drug involvement was “long-standing and serious”
and that respondent had “evidenced no commitment to a drug treatment program.” Respondent’s
seventh and eighth children tested positive for cocaine at birth. Respondent admitted to hospital
personnel that she had no prenatal care and had used crack cocaine two or three days before the
seventh child’s birth. At the time her rights were terminated to each of these children,
respondent’s whereabouts were unknown.
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The child at issue in this case, Shardae, was born prematurely at 33 weeks and had
special needs, including a skin condition and holes in her heart. Again, respondent admitted to
using drugs throughout her pregnancy, including crack cocaine. Although respondent indicated a
desire to care for Shardae, her history of drug abuse and prior terminations indicated that she was
simply not in a position to do so. Respondent argues that petitioner failed to show that she was
currently abusing drugs. However, respondent used drugs during her last three pregnancies and
prior attempts at rehabilitation had failed. She had no housing and limited income. She was
simply not in a position to care for herself or anyone else.
Further, it was in Shardae’s best interests to terminate respondent’s parental rights. MCL
712A.19b(5). Shardae was born prematurely and had special needs. Respondent had proven that
she was incapable of parenting even her children without special needs. Again, respondent’s
history of drug abuse was extensive and there was simply no indication that she would alleviate
the problem in the near future.
Affirmed.
/s/ William B. Murphy
/s/ Kathleen Jansen
/s/ Brian K. Zahra
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