The MILLER Children - Mower Cty/ Rochester MN

http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S2403587.shtml?cat=10226

The push to terminate the parental rights of Brian and Charity Miller continues.

In court Monday, Mower County Human Services continued to say the Millers are not fit parents. The Millers appeared in court denying those allegations. Mower County filed a second petition to terminate parental rights last month, after the pair plead guilty to chaining their 5-year-old son to his bed and withholding food.

The petition says the Millers have not shown they can provide safe and adequate parenting and haven't tried to reunite their family. For example, the judge says their apology letter to the children, focused on their own feelings, rather than the child's.

The reunification part of the petition, is the key reason the first petition failed. That's because the 5-year-old is part Cherokee, and federal law requires an attempt to reunite the family, something the county didn't try.

That's why this second petition puts the burden on the Millers. The children's guardian says it's all in the best interest of the kids.

“Well the Guiding Litem program's position is in the best interest of the boys to have their parent parental rights terminated. That's the stance the Guiding Litem program will take and that's what we'll present to the courts when the time comes,” said Guardian Ad Litem Todd Schoonover.

The Millers are currently being held in jail as part of their first sentence. They will be appearing in court within the next 60 days.