At a January 2021 review hearing, the court found that on the basis of the recommendations of CASA, the attorney ad litem, and DHS, the goal would remain reunification, in part because of issues caused due to turnover within DHS. Johnson suffered a stroke in November 2020 and was hospitalized for about a month. She was attending therapy, living in a hotel, and was unemployed. Johnson had completed her drug-and-alcohol assessment, but she did not want to attend the recommended residential drug treatment. 2 October 2020 hearing, the court again noted some effort to comply but could not see any progress being made. At an 1 The family included Cornelius Cunningham, Johnson’s boyfriend and the father to some of the children, whose rights were also terminated in this case. At that time, Johnson was homeless, had missed four appointments for her drug-and-alcohol assessment, had missed two parenting classes and been dropped from the course, had tested positive for drugs on a nail test, and had submitted to her psychological evaluation after missing the first two appointments. At a June 2020 permanency-planning hearing, the court found that Johnson had made some effort to comply with court orders, but it remained to be seen whether there had been any progress toward reunification. The children were adjudicated dependent-neglected, and reunification was made the goal of the case. Prior to the adjudication hearing, all the children tested positive on hair drug screens for methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, and THC. ![]() One child reported witnessing her sister being raped. After DHS took the children to their appointments, the forensic interviews of the four oldest children revealed allegations of domestic violence, drug use, and sexual abuse that the parents failed to believe. DHS set up medical appointments and appointments for forensic interviews, but Johnson failed to take the children to their appointments. A three-year-old child appeared to have cigarette burns. The youngest children had missed doctor appointments, and the oldest child had been dropped from school for too many absences. In January 2020, authorities found the home to be in unacceptable condition with the floors cluttered with food and trash and no beds for the toddlers. The family1 had a long history of maltreatment investigations and protective-services cases. Johnson’s children ranged in age from six months to fourteen years old. The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) filed a petition for emergency custody and dependency-neglect in January 2020 alleging that Johnson’s children were at substantial risk of serious harm as a result of environmental neglect, medical neglect, educational neglect, sexual abuse, and parental unfitness. On appeal, Johnson argues that there was insufficient evidence that termination is in the children’s best interest. ![]() MARK KLAPPENBACH, Judge Carla Johnson appeals from the order of the Pulaski County Circuit Court terminating her parental rights to her nine children. ![]() BYRD, CHILDREN JUDGE APPELLEES AFFIRMED N. EIGHTH DIVISION ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND MINOR HONORABLE TJUANA C. CV-22-93 Opinion Delivered AugCARLA JOHNSON APPELLANT APPEAL FROM THE PULASKI COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT, V. 301 ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION III No.
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