Teasia Turner v. Arkansas Department of Human Services and Minor Children

── Teasia Turner v. Arkansas Department of Human Services and Minor Children ── Court: Court of Appeals of Arkansas Date: April 29, 2026 Category: General Cite as 2026 Ark. App. 267 ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION I No. CV-25-752 Opinion Delivered April 29, 2026 TEASIA TURNER APPEAL FROM THE COLUMBIA APPELLANT COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT [NO. 14JV-22-87] V. HONORABLE DAVID W. TALLEY, JUDGE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND MINOR AFFIRMED CHILDREN APPELLEES KENNETH S. HIXSON, Judge Appellant Teasia Turner appeals from the termination of her parental rights to her children, MC1, MC2, MC4, and MC5, who presently range in age from eight to two years old.1 On appeal, Teasia argues that appellee Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) failed to prove that termination of her parental rights was in the children’s best interest. Specifically, Teasia argues that termination was not in the children’s best interest because there was lack of evidence that the children would be adopted as a sibling group; thus, the children would potentially be separated from each other upon termination. We affirm. 1 None of the children’s fathers are a party to this appeal.  I. Relevant Facts and Procedural History On December 20, 2022, DHS filed a petition for dependency-neglect and emergency custody of MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4.2 The facts concerning the dependency-neglect were contained in an attached affidavit of a family service worker. The affidavit stated that Teasia and MC4 had tested positive for THC six days prior when MC4 was born. The affidavit stated that during DHS’s prior involvement with the family, Teasia had also tested positive for THC when MC1 and MC3 were born. The affidavit stated that Teasia was living with the children in a hotel room with one bed, there was little food, and Teasia was unemployed. On December 20, 2022, the trial court entered an ex parte order for emergency custody of MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4. A probable-cause order followed on January 13, 2023. On February 15, 2023, the trial court entered an adjudication order finding that the children were dependent-neglected under “Garrett’s Law” and that the allegations in the petition were true, and the children were at substantial risk of serious harm. The trial court ordered Teasia to obtain and maintain stable housing and employment, complete parenting classes, submit to random drug screens, complete a substance-abuse assessment and follow the recommendations, and undergo a psychological evaluation. The goal of the case was reunification with the concurrent goals of adoption and relative placement. 2 At the time the petition was filed, MC5 had not yet been born. As noted later in this opinion, during the dependency-neglect proceedings, MC3 was placed in her father’s custody, and Teasia’s parental rights were not terminated as to that child. 2  On June 6, 2023, the trial court entered a review order finding that Teasia was not in compliance with the case plan. The trial court ordered Teasia’s visitation to be supervised. The trial court noted that the children were not placed together at that time but it ordered sibling visitation and found that DHS had made reasonable efforts to reunite the siblings and to allow contact, consistent with Ark. Code Ann. § 9-28-1003(d). The trial court also found that DHS had made reasonable efforts to provide numerous services to achieve reunification. The goal of the case remained reunification with the concurrent goals of adoption and relative placement. On August