CITE: 98 Wn.2d 589, 656 P.2d 503
IN RE FERGUSON
CAUSE NUMBER: 49081-3
FILE DATE: January 13, 1983
CASE TITLE: In the Matter of the Welfare of Dennis Ferguson.
The Department of Social and Health Services,
Petitioner, v. Frank Ferguson,
Respondent.
NATURE OF ACTION: Action to terminate parental rights to children.
Superior Court: The Superior Court for Walla Walla County, No. 73463, Yancey Reser, J., entered an order of permanent deprivation on March 13, 1981.
Court of Appeals: The court at 32 Wn. App. 865 REVERSED that portion of the judgment terminating the father's rights in his son, holding that the father had not been provided sufficient services to help him become a better parent.
Supreme Court: Finding that all services reasonably available to correct the father's parental deficiencies had been offered, the court REVERSES the decision of the Court of Appeals and reinstates the judgment.
COUNSEL: ARTHUR R. EGGERS, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY, and SCOTT WOLFRAM, DEPUTY, for petitioner.
CHARLES B. PHILLIPS and TAGGART, PHILLIPS & GOSE, INC., P.S., for respondent.
REESE, BAFFNEY, SCHRAG & SIEGEL, P.S., by LARRY SIEGEL, as guardian ad litem.
AUTHOR OF MAJORITY OPINION: Per Curiam. -
MAJORITY OPINION: This action, wherein the trial court terminated a parent-child relationship pursuant to RCW 13.34, presents the following issue:
"Whether sufficient evidence was presented to establish that the parent had been offered "all necessary services, reasonably available, capable of correcting the parental deficiencies within the foreseeable future".
RCW 13.34.180(4).
The oral arguments, the briefs and the record in this case have been considered by this court. We hold that there is sufficient evidence to support the trial court's termination of Frank Ferguson's parental rights in his minor son. Under the specific facts of this case, all services reasonably available to correct Mr. Ferguson's parental deficiencies were offered. Accordingly, we reverse the divided Court of Appeals which held to the contrary. SEE IN RE FERGUSON, 32 Wn. App. 865, 650 P.2d 1118 (1982).
POST-OPINION INFORMATION: Reconsideration denied February 10, 1983.