In Re SB

164 Cal. App. 4th 289, 79 Cal. Rptr. 3d 449
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in In Re SB. Read the opinion of the Court — 30 Cal. Rptr. 3d 726
California Court of Appeal·Decided June 26, 2008·No. D052202·Published

Opinion

164 Cal.App.4th 289 (2008)

In re S.B., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
MICHAEL B., Defendant and Appellant.

No. D052202.

Court of Appeals of California, Fourth District, Division One.

June 26, 2008.

*292 Neale B. Gold, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

John J. Sansone, County Counsel, John E. Philips and Dana C. Shoffner, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Julie E. Braden, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Minor.

OPINION

BENKE, Acting P. J.

Michael B. appeals an order terminating his parental rights to his daughter, S.B., under Welfare and Institutions Code[1] section 366.26. He contends the court erred when it did not apply the exception to termination for parents who have continuing beneficial relationships with their dependent children. (Former § 366.26, subd. (c)(1)(A).)[2] Michael further contends the court did not comply with the notice provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA). (25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.; Welf. & Inst. Code, § 224 et seq.)

*293 We conclude Michael had a continuing beneficial relationship with his daughter within the meaning of the statutory exception to termination of parental rights. We also agree there was noncompliance with ICWA. Accordingly, we reverse and remand with directions.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Michael and Stephanie J.[3] are the parents of S.B., born October 2002. Michael was S.B.'s primary caregiver; the record indicates Stephanie was in and out of S.B.'s life. On November 15, 2005, Michael and Stephanie were arrested on drug-related charges, including being under the influence of methamphetamine. Michael admitted he used methamphetamine "on and off" for 30 years.

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) filed a petition under section 300, subdivision (b), alleging the parents could not provide regular care to S.B. because of substance abuse. On January 9, 2006, the court sustained the petition, removed S.B. from parental custody and placed her with her maternal grandparents. The court ordered a plan of family reunification services for each parent.

At the outset of the proceedings, Michael informed the social worker he was or may be a member of or eligible for membership in the "Blackfoot Lakota Sioux." (See generally, ICWA, 25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.; Welf. & Inst. Code, § 224 et seq.; Cal. Rules of Court,[4] rule 5.664.) The Agency reported it notified the Blackfeet tribe and all Sioux tribes of the dependency proceedings (Sioux notices). The Agency filed Judicial Council former form JV-135[5] and the tribes' responses with the court on February 7, 2006. The notice to the Oglala Sioux was returned unclaimed.[6] On February 22 the court found notice was appropriate and ICWA did not apply.

At the contested 12-month review hearing on February 22, 2007, the Agency reported Michael "complied with every aspect of his case plan," including maintaining his sobriety and consistently visiting S.B. However, social worker Bernadette Brown opined Michael's physical and emotional health prevented him from reunifying with S.B.

*294 Michael served in Vietnam on a helicopter gunship from 1967 to 1969. He experienced recurrent bouts of anger and aggression and was diagnosed with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Michael's treatment included psychotropic medications, individual therapy and group therapy. Michael's physical health was also poor. He had heart and stomach problems and acute degenerative osteoarthritis that caused severe neck and back pain. Michael acknowledged his current health problems impeded his ability to care for S.B. full time.

Brown reported Michael visited S.B. three days a week. The visits were supervised. S.B. became upset when the visits ended and wanted to leave with Michael. Brown noted Michael "demonstrates empathy and the ability to put himself in his daughter's place to recognize her needs." Brown stated: "It pains the Agency not to be able to reunify [Michael] and his daughter [S.B.] because of his consistent efforts to alleviate and or mitigate the reasons his family was brought to the attention of the court."

At some point in time, the Agency learned Michael's maternal grandfather was Mescalero Apache and a grandmother was Mexican Yaqui.[7] The Agency obtained additional information about Michael's father and paternal grandfather after it sent the Sioux notices. This information included Michael's father's name and the former addresses, birthplaces, birthdates and the dates and places of death of both his father and grandfather. On June 20 and August 6, 2007, the court continued the section 366.26 hearing to allow the Agency to resolve the pending ICWA issues.

In late June 2007 the Agency reported form JV-135 "was corrected and re-sent on May 10, 2007" (revised JV-135). The Agency sent the revised JV-135 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Pascua Yaqui tribe, the Blackfeet tribe, Michael and Stephanie. The Agency attached the notices and the responses received from the tribes to its addendum report. Notice to Stephanie was returned, marked "not deliverable as addressed." The Agency did not notice the Mescalero Apache tribe.

In August 2007 the Agency reported all tribes were appropriately noticed and all ICWA response letters were received. The responses indicated S.B. was not eligible for membership in any of the noticed tribes. In October the Agency informed the court it noticed the Mescalero Apache tribe on August 7, and the tribe responded S.B. was not eligible for enrollment. The Agency recommended the court find ICWA did not apply.

*295 The section 366.26 hearing was held on December 4, 2007. Michael contested the Agency's recommendations to terminate parental rights.[8] The court admitted into evidence the Agency's court reports and addendums prepared for the section 366.26 hearing and a bonding study conducted by Dr. Robert Kelin dated July 26, 2007. The court heard testimony from social worker David Smith and Dr. Kelin.

Social worker Stefani Castro prepared the initial section 366.26 report and addendum report dated August 6, 2007. Castro observed four visits between Michael and S.B. She stated S.B. had a consistent and positive relationship with Michael, who visited her two to three times each week. During visits, however, S.B. looked to her grandmother for security, safety, guidance and parenting. Castro opined that for S.B., the benefits of adoption outweighed the benefits of maintaining the parent-child relationship. S.B.'s primary attachment was to her grandparents. They provided day-to-day care. The best outcome would allow S.B. to continue her relationships with her parents through supervised visitation. However, were visitation not to occur, the loss of the parent-child relationship would not be a "huge detriment" to S.B.

The case was assigned to social worker David Smith before the section 366.26 hearing. Smith observed one visit between Michael and S.B. Smith testified Michael was very involved in the visit but S.B.'s grandmother assumed the more parental role. Smith acknowledged there would be some detriment to S.B. were parental rights terminated.

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In Re SB, 164 Cal. App. 4th 289, 79 Cal. Rptr. 3d 449 (Cal. Ct. App. 2008).

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