In re K.D. CA4/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 30, 2025
DocketD085243
StatusUnpublished

This text of In re K.D. CA4/1 (In re K.D. CA4/1) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re K.D. CA4/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 5/30/25 In re K.D. CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

In re K.D., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law. D085243 SAN DIEGO COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, (Super. Ct. No. EJ4777)

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

D.D. et al.,

Defendants and Appellants.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Mark T. Cumba, Judge. Affirmed. Elizabeth Klippi, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant, Mother D.D. Clare M. Lemon, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant, Father D.D. Claudia G. Silva, County Counsel, Lisa M. Maldonado, Chief Deputy County Counsel, and Indra N. Bennett, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent. INTRODUCTION

Appellants D.D. (Mother) and D.D. (Father) appeal the juvenile court’s

order terminating parental rights. (Welf. & Inst. Code,1 § 366.26.) This is the third appeal in this juvenile dependency matter targeting the juvenile court’s findings and orders under the Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.) (ICWA) and section 224.2. In the first appeal, we conditionally reversed the juvenile court’s jurisdictional and dispositional order declaring minor K.D. a dependent and removing him from his parents’ custody. (In re K.D. (Jan. 6, 2023, D080817) [nonpub. opn.] (K.D. I).) In the second appeal, we conditionally reversed the juvenile court’s six-month review order declining to return K.D. to Father’s custody. (In re K.D. (Sep. 21, 2023, D082387) [nonpub. opn.] (K.D. II).) Following remand from both prior appeals, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) conducted additional ICWA inquiries, and each time the juvenile court found ICWA did not apply. In this appeal, the parents’ sole contention is that the juvenile court erred when it found the Agency conducted a diligent inquiry into K.D.’s

Native American heritage at the section 366.26 hearing.2 In particular, the parents allege the Agency failed to inquire of all necessary family members

1 All undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise specified.

2 “The sole purpose of the section 366.26 hearing is to select and implement a permanent plan for the child after reunification efforts have failed.” (In re J.D. (2021) 70 Cal.App.5th 833, 851–852.) 2 and omitted important information from their inquiry letters to the tribe. Finding no error, we affirm. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In June 2022, the Agency detained minor K.D. and initiated dependency proceedings under section 300, subdivision (b), due to Mother’s drug use and Father’s failure to protect and supervise.

A. ICWA Inquiry Prior to Earlier Remands3 In a detention report, the Agency said it inquired regarding K.D.’s ICWA status. Father initially denied having any Native American heritage. But the paternal grandmother told the social worker that she had Cherokee ancestry through her mother and Blackfoot ancestry through her father and she was “looking into” becoming a member, even though neither she nor her parents belonged to a tribe. Mother told the Agency that her grandmother was previously a tribal Blackfoot member, but that neither she nor K.D. is a member of a tribe. Based on this information, the social worker recommended that the court find that there is reason to believe that the child may be an Indian child and order the Agency to conduct further inquiry regarding the possible Indian status of the child. At an initial detention hearing in June 2022, both parents submitted Parental Notification of Indian Status forms (ICWA-020). Father again denied any Indian ancestry. Mother’s form claimed that she, K.D., and one or more of her lineal ancestors were members of the Blackfoot tribe. She also

3 The parents’ only contentions on appeal concern ICWA, and we limit our discussion of the factual and procedural background accordingly. Here, we summarize the pertinent history, drawing on our prior opinions. (See K.D. I, supra, D080817; K.D. II, supra, D082387.) 3 claimed to be a resident or domiciled on a tribal trust land. The court ordered the Agency “to complete reasonable inquiry” regarding ICWA. After the detention hearing, Father reported Cherokee heritage but said “no one has been enrolled yet.” He said he would text the dates of birth, birthplaces, and dates of death for family members. A social worker followed up to ask for family members' names and dates of birth, and Father responded that he was struggling to get information because no one ever enrolled. Mother reported that she has Blackfoot ancestry through a great-great- grandmother who may have been enrolled with the tribe. She provided names for a great-grandmother and her maternal grandmother, along with the maternal grandmother’s date of birth. She also provided the name of her uncle who was in the process of registering them and was in contact with the tribe before he passed away in 2021. In July 2022, the social worker called several other family members about K.D.’s tribal ancestry, including two paternal uncles, the paternal grandmother, and a paternal step-uncle. One of K.D.’s paternal uncles reported Blackfoot and Cherokee ancestry, although he did not think any family member had enrolled, lived on tribal land, or received tribal benefits. He provided the dates of birth for K.D.’s paternal grandparents. Another paternal uncle reported “miniscule amount[s]” of Cherokee and “Blackfoot” heritage, but he largely had “no idea” about his ancestry and did not know of any family member being an enrolled tribal member or living on tribal lands. K.D.’s paternal grandmother provided the married name, maiden name, and date of birth for a paternal great-grandmother with Cherokee ancestry and reported that a great-grandfather had Blackfoot ancestry. She stated her mother was not an enrolled tribal member and did not live on a

4 reservation. She denied knowledge of her family members receiving tribal benefits or enrolling as members. She explained that the paternal grandfather’s parents passed away in 2002 or 2003. The Agency reported it sent certified inquiries to the Blackfeet tribe, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in early July 2022, and again with “additional information” a week later. The three Cherokee tribes sent response letters, but none were able to establish tribal heritage for K.D. The Agency subsequently reported that it called the Blackfeet tribe the next month. In August 2022, the court held a contested adjudication and disposition hearing.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ventura County Human Services Agency v. C.M.
172 Cal. App. 4th 115 (California Court of Appeal, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
In re K.D. CA4/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-kd-ca41-calctapp-2025.