Suffolk Cnty. Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. Lisa B. (In re Nicholas M.)

211 A.D.3d 950

180 N.Y.S.3d 257

In the MATTER OF NICHOLAS M. (Anonymous).

Suffolk County Department of Social Services, respondent;

v.Lisa B. (Anonymous), appellant (and another proceeding).

2021-08486, 2021-08977, 2021-08984

Docket Nos. N-13733-21, N-13734-21

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Submitted—October 31, 2022

December 21, 2022

Darla A. Filiberto, Islandia, NY, for appellant.

Dennis M. Cohen, County Attorney, Central Islip, NY (Karin A. Bohrer of counsel), for respondent.

Laurette D. Mulry, Central Islip, NY (John B. Belmonte of counsel), attorney for the child.

MARK C. DILLON, J.P., CHERYL E. CHAMBERS, JOSEPH A. ZAYAS, DEBORAH A. DOWLING, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

In related proceedings pursuant to Family Court Act article 10, the mother appeals from (1) a temporary order of protection of the Family Court, Suffolk County (Caren Loguercio, J.), dated October 22, 2021, (2) an order of the same court dated November 1, 2021, and (3) an order of the same court dated November 10, 2021. The temporary order of protection, inter alia, directed that the mother stay away from the subject child except for supervised parental access. The order dated November 1, 2021, in effect, continued temporary removal of the subject child pursuant to Family Court Act § 1027. The order dated November 10, 2021, after a hearing, denied the mother's application pursuant to Family Court Act § 1028 for a return of the subject child.

ORDERED that the appeal from the temporary order of protection is dismissed as academic, without costs or disbursements; and it is further,

ORDERED that the orders dated November 1, 2021, and November 10, 2021, are affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

On October 22, 2021, the petitioner, Suffolk County Department of Social Services (hereinafter DSS), filed an emergency petition pursuant to Family Court Act § 1022 seeking to remove the subject child from the parents’ custody and place him with a maternal aunt pending the determination of neglect proceedings against the parents. After a hearing on the issue of the child's temporary removal, by order dated October 22, 2021, the Family Court, among other things, placed the child in the care of a maternal aunt with DSS supervision. The court also entered a temporary order of protection directing that the parents stay away from the child except for supervised parental access. Thereafter, on October 25, 2021, the mother filed an application pursuant to Family Court Act § 1028 for the return of the child to her custody. The next day, on October 26, 2021, DSS filed a neglect petition against each parent in which it sought the child's continued removal pursuant to Family Court Act § 1027. After a hearing, in an order dated November 1, 2021, the court, in effect, continued the child's placement with the maternal aunt pending the determination of the neglect proceedings, and in an order dated November 10, 2021, denied the mother's application for the return of the child. The mother appeals from the temporary order of protection and the orders dated November 1, 2021, and November 10, 2021.

The appeal from the temporary order of protection must be dismissed as academic because that order expired by its own terms and imposes no enduring consequences on the mother (see Matter of Zaylynn J. [Benni J.], 187 A.D.3d 753, 755, 130 N.Y.S.3d 359 ; Matter of Isaac S. [Miriam S.], 178 A.D.3d 829, 829, 111 N.Y.S.3d 877 ).

" ‘Following a hearing pursuant to Family Court Act §§ 1027 or 1028, if the court finds that removal is necessary to avoid imminent risk to the child's life or health, it shall remove or continue the removal of the child’ " ( Matter of Daniella G. [Margarita K.], 206 A.D.3d 730, 731, 167 N.Y.S.3d 815, quoting Matter of Sara A. [Ashik A.], 141 A.D.3d 646, 647, 35 N.Y.S.3d 450 ; see Family Ct Act § 1027[b][i] ; Nicholson v. Scoppetta, 3 N.Y.3d 357, 380, 787 N.Y.S.2d 196, 820 N.E.2d 840 ; see also Family Ct Act §§ 1022[a][iii] ; 1027[b][ii]; 1028[b]). "In order to justify a finding of imminent risk to life or health, the agency need not prove that the child has suffered actual injury" ( Nicholson v. Scoppetta, 3 N.Y.3d at 377, 787 N.Y.S.2d 196, 820 N.E.2d 840 ). Where imminent risk is found, the court must " ‘decide whether continuation in the child's home would be contrary to the best interests of the child and whether reasonable efforts...