In re B.P. CA1/1

California Court of Appeal·Decided December 18, 2015·No. A144609·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 12/18/15 In re B.P. CA1/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

In re B.P. et al., Persons Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.

SOLANO COUNTY HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, Plaintiff and Respondent, A144609 v. (Solano County C.P. et al., Super. Ct. No. J40436, J41019) Defendants and Appellants.

C.P. (Father) appeals the termination of his parental rights as to his two daughters, B.P and B.F.P. On appeal, he maintains the juvenile court erred in denying his Welfare and Institutions Code section 3881 modification petition, and that the court should have applied the “parental benefit exception” to termination. We affirm. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY2 I. Background “Father and C.P.2 (Mother) were married in 2004. Together they have two girls, B.P. (age nine) and B.F.P. (age four). Mother has two older children from previous

1 All further statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code. 2 On our own motion, we take judicial notice of our prior opinion in In re B.P. et al. (July 14, 2015, A142679 [nonpub. opn.].) (See Evid. Code, § 451, subd. (a).) The factual background from our prior opinion appears in quotation marks. Alterations are indicated by brackets. relationships, I.N. [] and B.K. []. B.K. lived with Mother and Father, while I.N. lived with her father in Texas and stayed with Mother in the summer only. “Beginning in 2002, the Solano County Health and Social Services Department (Department) had been involved with the parents on five occasions due to substantiated allegations of domestic violence, and substance and alcohol abuse. They fought in front of the children, and had both been arrested for domestic violence and child endangerment. On one occasion Mother stabbed Father with scissors while cutting I.N.’s hair. The Department did not remove the children from the parents’ custody at that time because they immediately engaged in voluntary services.” II. The First Dependency Proceeding “The Department became involved with the family again in September 2010 when Mother was about eight months pregnant with B.F.P. On September 18, 2010, Mother was arrested for felony domestic violence and for possession of controlled substances. Father sustained scratches to his face and a busted lip. The parents had argued over Father’s excessive drinking, a habit that caused him to be arrested for public intoxication in March 2010. “Based on the most recent domestic violence incident, the Department filed a petition on October 18, 2010, alleging B.K. (then 12 years of age) and B.P. (then four years of age) were at substantial risk of harm under section 300, subdivisions (b) and (c) due to the parents’ history of domestic violence and substance abuse.[3] “On November 16, 2010, the juvenile court found the allegations as stated in an amended petition to be true following a contested jurisdictional hearing. The children remained in the home and the parents were offered family maintenance services. “Mother gave birth to B.F.P. in December 2010. “At the December 21, 2010 disposition hearing, the juvenile court ordered B.K. and B.P. to remain in the parents’ custody with family maintenance services.

3 “The allegations concerning section 300 subdivision (c) were subsequently dismissed.”

2 “On August 9, 2011, the Department filed a petition alleging B.F.P. was at substantial risk of harm under section 300 due to the parents’ domestic violence, Mother’s substance abuse, and Father’s alcohol abuse. The Department also concurrently filed a section 387 petition as to B.K. and B.P., alleging the same facts. Reportedly, Father was continuing to abuse alcohol and marijuana, and had also engaged in domestic violence with Mother. The children were detained and placed in foster care. “On November 8, 2011, the juvenile court ordered B.P. and B.F.P. returned to Mother’s custody with family maintenance services for both parents.[4] “On September 18, 2012, the juvenile court terminated jurisdiction and granted the parents joint legal custody. Mother was given primary physical custody. Father was ordered not to operate a motor vehicle with the minors in the car, and to refrain from having contact with the minors after consuming alcohol.” III. The Second Dependency Proceeding “On May 17, 2013, the Department filed a section 300 petition as to B.K., B.P., and B.F.P. Both parents had recently been arrested and charged with child cruelty, and possession of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. Reportedly, law enforcement had gone to Mother’s home following an anonymous tip and had discovered methamphetamine on a desk in her room. Both parents were in possession of pipes, and Father had a digital scale in his pocket. There was rotten food on the floor, an open bleach bottle in the bathroom, and a broken crib in the room where the children slept. “On May 22, 2013, the juvenile court ordered the children detained. Mother and Father were granted supervised visits once a week for two hours. “According to the June 13, 2013 jurisdiction/disposition report, B.P. and B.F.P. were placed with a nonrelated extended family member who had previously babysat the girls.[5] By this time, the parents were no longer incarcerated. Mother reported she currently did not use drugs and explained the drug paraphernalia found in the house was

4 “The parents had separated some time prior to May 2012.” 5 “B.K. was placed with her paternal relatives.”

3 old and was not recently used. However, she admitted she smoked marijuana regularly and predicted she would test dirty for methamphetamines. She did not believe her home was unsafe or unsanitary. “Father reported he did not live with Mother and the girls, but visited regularly. He admitted he would test dirty for marijuana and alcohol. He was unwilling to contact the behavioral health assessment team for an intake appointment, claiming he worked for the government and his work schedule would not accommodate any classes. He also failed to drug test. He admitted there was domestic violence with Mother in the past, but denied any current domestic violence. “An addendum report filed on July 31, 2013, indicated Mother had been hospitalized for her mental health issues. Her preliminary diagnosis was recurrent major depression. Mother disclosed alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine use. Father had visited his two girls and wanted to have custody of them, but did not currently have space for them. He planned on divorcing Mother. In the Department’s view, Father ‘seems to struggle in understanding the severity of the current dependency matter and the importance of his full participation.’ “On August 2, 2013, the parents submitted to jurisdiction. Mother and Father were ordered to participate in reunification services. Father was to participate in a parenting program, random drug testing, and a substance abuse assessment. The parents were granted supervised visits once a week for at least one hour. “In a status review report filed on January 14, 2014, the Department reported Mother had been hospitalized twice and was arrested on August 30, 2013, due to a bench warrant. She was released in September 2013 after pleading guilty to a felony charge. She was on probation and was required to complete services. Reportedly, she appeared delusional and was not taking her psychotropic medications. Father tested positive for marijuana on September 27, 2013. He was arrested on October 4, 2013, for possession of known stolen property.

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