Florida District Courts of Appeal, 2010

DM v. Department of Children and Families

DM v. Department of Children and Families
Florida District Courts of Appeal · Decided April 8, 2010 · Griffin, Palmer, Jacobus
31 So. 3d 945; 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 4700; 2010 WL 1404087 (Southern Reporter, Third Series)

DM v. Department of Children and Families

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

D.M. [“Mother”] appeals a final order terminating her parental rights to K.P. Mother asserts that the trial court failed to comply with section 39.803, Florida Statutes (2009), and the Department of Children and Families [“DCF”] failed to offer competent proof to support the trial court’s findings. DCF offered testimony *946 of a case worker that the mother never identified the father and that DCF had made a request to determine whether anyone had registered with the Putative Father Registry, but no response or certificate had yet been received. This may have been considered a formality under the circumstances of the case and it may turn out to be a formality, but it is a formality that must be observed. Otherwise, there is a risk of unnecessary judicial labor and delay in permanent placement of the child. Cf. In the Interest of E.D., 884 So.2d 291 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004).

REVERSED and REMANDED.

GRIFFIN, PALMER and JACOBUS, JJ., concur.

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