By: Derek Hawkins//November 13, 2019//
WI Court of Appeals – District IV
Case Name: Dane County Department of Human Services
Case No.: 2019AP1336; 2019AP1337; 2019AP1338
Officials: BLANCHARD, J.
Focus: Termination of Parental Rights
T.R. appeals the circuit court’s orders terminating her parental rights to three children, K.D., K.S., and A.S., on the petitions of the Dane County Department of Human Services (the County). She challenges only the circuit court’s rulings in the dispositional phase and makes no arguments regarding the grounds phase. She argues that the court erroneously exercised its discretion in three ways: (1) by failing to consider whether the children have substantial relationships with one another and whether termination of her parental rights would sever those child-to-child relationships in a harmful manner; (2) by failing to reflect adequate consideration of the factors pertinent to the disposition of a termination of parental rights case under WIS. STAT. § 48.426(3); and (3) by failing to adequately consider the potential consequences of T.R. losing her parental rights in light of the prospect of the father of K.S. and A.S. retaining his parental rights to both children. I reject T.R.’s arguments and affirm.