In the Interest of Minor Children: Baby a and Baby B Tw. and A.w., and Adoption Choices of Colorado, — Eid, J…

Summary

The dissent would reject termination of M.C.'s parental rights because the trial court never formally determined the amount of child support or resolved the parties' dispute about financial disclosure before treating nonpayment as evidence of inadequate parental responsibility. It also reasons that a fundamentally fair termination procedure requires considering whether the parent is likely to pay support in the future, an inquiry the trial court did not conduct. The dissent further regards the majority's constitutional analysis as unnecessary because the statutory requirements were not satisfied.