DIETZ, Judge.
Respondent appeals from the trial courts order terminating his parental rights to his minor children Z.A.W. (Zena) and T.L.C. (Tim). Respondents counsel filed a brief indicating that there are no non-frivolous issues to assert on appeal. After an independent review of the record, we agree and therefore affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
On 14 October 2015, the Alamance County Department of Social Services obtained non-secure custody of the children and filed a petition alleging they both were neglected and dependent juveniles and that Zena also was an abused juvenile. On 21 December 2015, based in part on stipulations by Respondent and the childrens mother, the trial court adjudicated both children to be neglected and dependent juveniles and also adjudicated Zena to be an abused juvenile.
The trial court held a permanency planning hearing on 2 March 2016 and entered its order from that hearing on 22 March 2016, concluding that it was in the childrens best interests to pursue termination of parental rights.
On 9 March 2016, DSS moved to terminate the parental rights of both Respondent and the childrens mother. As to Respondent, DSS alleged grounds for termination based on: (1) neglect; (2) failure to pay for the cost of care while the children were in DSS custody; and (3) dependency. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-1111(a)(1), (3), (6).
After a hearing on 11 and 12 May 2016, the trial court entered an order terminating Respondents parental rights. The court concluded that grounds to terminate Respondents parental rights existed based on neglect and dependency, and that termination of Respondents parental rights was in the childrens best interests. Respondent timely appealed.
Analysis
Respondents counsel has filed a no-merit brief in which counsel states that she has conducted a conscientious and thorough review of the Record on Appeal and concluded that the record contains no issue of merit on which to base an argument for relief. Under Rule 3.1(d) of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure, Respondents counsel asked this Court to conduct an independent examination of the case. See N.C. R. App. P. 3.1(d).
Consistent with Rule 3.1(d), counsel also wrote a letter to Respondent advising him of counsels inability to find any non-frivolous issues for appeal, of her request for this Court to conduct an independent review of the record, and of Respondents right to file his own arguments directly with this Court. Counsel included with the letter a copy of the record, a copy of the verbatim transcript of the hearing, and a copy of the brief filed by counsel. Respondent has not filed his own written arguments, and a reasonable time for him to have done so has passed.
After carefully reviewing the transcript and record, we agree with counsel that the trial courts findings of fact support at least one ground for termination and that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining that termination of Respondents parental rights is in the childrens best interests. See N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 7B-1110, 7B-1111. Accordingly, we affirm the trial courts order.
Conclusion
We affirm the trial courts order.
AFFIRMED.
Report per Rule 30(e).
Judges HUNTER, JR. and DILLON concur.
We use pseudonyms to protect the juveniles identities.
The trial courts order also terminated the parental rights of the childrens mother, who is not a party to this appeal.