In re S.F. CA6

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 20, 2013
DocketH039612
StatusUnpublished

This text of In re S.F. CA6 (In re S.F. CA6) 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 S.F. CA6, (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Filed 11/20/13 In re S.F. CA6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

In re S.F., a Person Coming Under the H039612 Juvenile Court Law. (Santa Cruz County Super. Ct. No. DP002635)

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT,

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

D.S. et al.

Defendants and Appellants.

After S.F. (the minor) was placed in protective custody on the date she was born (in April 2012), the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department (Department) filed a petition alleging the failure of the minor’s mother, D.S., and father, R.F., to protect and provide support for their daughter, under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivision (b).1 It was alleged in the petition, inter alia, that Mother and Father were homeless; Mother had untreated mental health and anger issues; and Father had a history of mental health issues and untreated substance abuse issues. On July 18, 2012, the court

1 Further statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise stated. sustained the petition, ordered family reunification services for Mother, but denied reunification services for Father. Mother’s reunification services were later terminated by the court, and after a contested permanency hearing on May 8, 2013, the court found the minor to be adoptable and ordered the termination of Mother’s and Father’s parental rights. Mother and Father (collectively, Appellants) appeal from the permanency order. They contend that the juvenile court erred (1) in ordering that the Department had fully complied with the notice provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.; ICWA), and (2) in concluding that the ICWA did not apply. They assert that the notice was defective because the Department failed to provide it to the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. We conclude that there was no ICWA error. Accordingly, we will affirm the order declaring adoption as the permanent plan for the child, S.F., and terminating the parental rights of Mother, D.S., and Father, R.F.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY I. Initial May 2012 Petition and Detention Order On May 1, 2012, the Department filed a petition alleging that the parents had failed to protect the minor. (§ 300, subd. (b).) The Department alleged, inter alia, that (1) Mother and Father were homeless; (2) Mother had mental health issues (seizure disorder, mood disorder, polysubstance abuse, and borderline personality disorder) that significantly impaired her ability to protect her newborn child, the minor; (3) Mother had “had an increase in auditory hallucinations and [was] physically aggressive with the alleged father”; (4) in November 2011 and again in March 2012, Mother had been hospitalized because of wanting to harm herself or others; (5) Mother had untreated substance abuse issues (having tested positive for marijuana at the time she gave birth to the minor, and having tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine while she was pregnant; (6) Father had untreated mental health issues (depression and psychosis) that

2 significantly impaired his ability to parent the minor; and (7) Father had untreated substance abuse issues which related to his “multiple drug[-]related and violent conduct arrests and convictions.” The minor was placed in protective custody on the day she was born in April 2012. On May 12, 2012, the court ordered the minor detained pursuant to section 319, subdivision (a). Based upon Mother’s indication of Indian heritage, the court found the possible applicability of the ICWA. II. Report and Jurisdictional Hearing In its June 2012 jurisdiction/disposition report, the Department repeated the allegations concerning the parents found in the initial petition, including additional details concerning their mental health and substance abuse issues, and their criminal arrest and conviction history. The Department noted that the ICWA might apply based upon Mother’s having reported Indian heritage in her family. The Department recommended that the minor remain in out-of-home care; Mother be offered family reunification services; and Father not be offered reunification services. On July 18, 2012, after a jurisdictional hearing attended by Mother and Father, the court found the allegations in the petition true and sustained the petition. It declared the minor a dependent child of the juvenile court; ordered that placement and care of the minor be vested with the Department; ordered family reunification services be provided to Mother; and ordered that no reunification services be provided to Father. III. December 2012 Order Terminating Reunification Services The Department filed a request to change order under section 388 on November 9, 2012, seeking termination of reunification services for Mother. It alleged that two professionals, who had each conducted psychological evaluations of Mother, had concluded that (1) Mother suffered from a mental incapacity that rendered her incapable of utilizing family reunification services, and (2) services were not available that would

3 assist Mother in her being able to adequately care for the minor. The court terminated Mother’s family reunification services on December 6, 2012. IV. March 2013 Assessment Under Section 366.26 On March 28, 2013, the Department filed its assessment, pursuant to section 366.26. The Department reviewed, inter alia, the minor’s physical and emotional condition, indicating that she was in good health, had no special needs, and was described by her caregiver as appearing to “be a happy baby who loves to explore . . . [is] curious and strong.” The Department reviewed the history of visitation by the parents. After the court, in August 2012, ordered supervised visitation of three times per week for Mother and once per month for Father, the parents “attended most visits until 10/22/12, when [Mother] began to cancel visitation. She then stopped contact with the Parent Center where the visits were happening. [Mother] and [Father] have not contacted the caregivers for [the minor] since this time.” The assessment also included a review of the minor’s foster care status. The minor had been living in San José with the same foster family since July 2012. One member of the foster family had taken eight months leave from work to assume primary caregiving responsibility. The foster parents expressed that they were willing and fully committed to adopting the minor. The Department opined that the minor was generally and specifically adoptable. It recommended that the parental rights of Mother and Father be terminated and that a permanent plan of adoption be established. V. May 2013 Permanency Hearing At the selection and implementation (permanency) hearing on May 8, 2013, the court permitted submission of the March 28, 2013 report pursuant to section 366.26, a statement submitted by the caregivers, and the parents’ visitation logs. Neither parent presented testimony. The court heard argument by counsel for the Department, the

4 minor, Mother, and Father. The court found by clear and convincing evidence that the minor was both generally and specifically adoptable, and approved the permanent plan of adoption. The court concluded further that there were no exceptions applicable in the case that would make it “detrimental [for the minor] to move forward with the highest level of permanency.

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In re S.F. CA6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-sf-ca6-calctapp-2013.