Walker E. v. State of Alaska, Department of Health & Social Services, Office of Children's Services

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed termination of the father’s parental rights to his five Indian children. It held that the Office of Children’s Services made active efforts to reunify the family, the trial court did not plainly err in qualifying the agency’s expert or clearly err in finding likely serious harm, and the best-interests determination was adequate even though it did not expressly discuss the mother’s death or the children’s Native heritage.