T.C. v. Department of Children and Family Services

Annotate this Case
Download PDF
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA SECOND DISTRICT In the Interest of G.C., a child. ) ___________________________________ ) ) T.C., ) ) Appellant, ) ) v. ) ) DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN ) AND FAMILY SERVICES, ) ) Appellee. ) ) Case No. 2D13-2080 Opinion filed September 18, 2013. Appeal from the Circuit Court for Manatee County; Scott M. Brownell, Judge. Ita M. Neymotin, Regional Counsel, Second District, and Joseph Thye Sexton, Assistant Regional Counsel, Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Bartow, for Appellant. Stephanie C. Zimmerman, Tampa, for Appellee. SLEET, Judge. T.C., the father of G.C., appeals the trial court's order placing minor child in a permanent guardianship and terminating protective supervision, which placed G.C. in a permanent guardianship, and terminated supervision by the Department of Children and Family Services. The Department correctly concedes error because the case plan improperly requires the father to admit to having caused harm to the minor child before reunification can take place in contravention to section 39.6011(1), Florida Statutes (2012). We also agree with the Department's concession of error that the trial court's order was not supported by competent, substantial evidence. See C.A. v. Dep't of Children & Families, 988 So. 2d 1247, 1248-49 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008) ("[P]lacement of a child in a permanent guardianship requires a finding by the trial court that reunification . . . is not in the best interests of the child, and that finding must be supported by competent substantial evidence.") Accordingly, we reverse the trial court's order and remand for further proceedings. Reversed and remanded. KHOUZAM and CRENSHAW, JJ., Concur. -2-

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.