Sherman B. v. State of Alaska, Department of Health & Social Services, Office of Children's Services

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the termination of Sherman B.'s parental rights to his daughter Darcy, holding that clear and convincing evidence supported the findings that Darcy was a child in need of aid based on abandonment, that Sherman failed to remedy the abandonment within a reasonable time, and that OCS made reasonable reunification efforts. The court further held that termination served Darcy's best interests by a preponderance of the evidence, given her close bond with the grandmother who had been her sole caretaker since birth and her need for permanency at almost three years old. Because the abandonment finding was affirmed, the court did not reach the State's alternative neglect theory.