Losing parental rights can permanently change a family's future, particularly when young children have spent years living with other caregivers. In Alabama, a mother who lost her parental rights to her two children challenged a court decision that allowed them to remain with their respective caregivers. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals has now reversed part of that decision, restoring the mother's parental rights to her older child while allowing the termination involving her younger daughter to stand.In a November 13, 2026 opinion available on Justia, the appeals court also upheld the termination of the father's parental rights to both children. The case, N.H. v. M.D., arose from separate proceedings involving the children's maternal great-aunt and a foster caregiver.Children placed with different caregiversAccording to the court's opinion, the mother and father were never married but had two children together. Their older child, K.P., was born on December 15, 2020, and allegedly tested positive for illegal drugs at birth. The Barbour County Department of Human Resources (DHR) subsequently initiated dependency proceedings, and the juvenile court placed the child with the maternal great-aunt.Their younger child, No.H., was born on April 5, 2022, and also allegedly tested positive for illegal drugs. Following separate dependency proceedings, she was placed with a licensed foster parent.
Alabama mother regains parental rights to older child; court upholds termination for younger child
A recent ruling by an Alabama appeals court has partially overturned a juvenile court's ruling regarding parental rights. The mother has maintained her rights to her older child but lost her rights to her younger daughter. The court underscored the necessity of evaluating the circumstances of each child individually in such matters. Meanwhile, the father's rights to both children remain revoked due to evidence of…
In brief
Losing parental rights can permanently change a family's future, particularly when young children have spent years living with other caregivers. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals has now reversed part of that decision, restoring the mother's parental rights to her older child while allowing the termination involving her younger daughter to stand.In a November 13, 2026 opinion available on Justia, the appeals court also upheld the termination of the father's parental rights to both children.
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