In re Victoria M. CA2/7

California Court of Appeal·Decided May 6, 2014·No. B250553·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 5/6/14 In re Victoria M. CA2/7

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT DIVISION SEVEN

In re VICTORIA M., a Person Coming B250553 Under the Juvenile Court Law. LOS ANGELES COUNTY (Los Angeles County DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, Super. Ct. No. CK97027)

Plaintiff and Respondent, v. ANA M., Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from orders of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Robert Draper, Judge. Affirmed in part and reversed and remanded. William Hook, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. John F. Krattli, County Counsel, James M. Owens, Assistant County Counsel, and William D. Thetford, Principal Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

_____________________________ INTRODUCTION Ana M. (“Mother”), the mother of minor S.V., appeals from orders of the juvenile court which declared her children, Angel M., Blanca M., Victoria M. and A.P. dependents of the court under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivision (b),1 based on, among other allegations, Mother’s substance abuse. Mother also appeals the dispositional order that removed Victoria M. and A.P. from her physical custody and placed them with their father2 but permitted visitation for Mother. Mother argues that the juvenile court’s jurisdictional findings and the disposition order were not supported by substantial evidence. For the reasons articulated below, we reject her arguments with respect to the jurisdictional findings concerning Mother’s substance abuse and the physical abuse by Rosa and affirm the jurisdictional order. Nonetheless, as we shall the explain, we reverse the disposition order, and the order terminating jurisdiction and remand for dispositional proceedings for Victoria M. and A.P. The dependency court failed to make the required findings under section 361 (i.e., clear and convincing evidence that the return of the child to the care and custody of the Mother would pose a substantial risk of detriment) to warrant the removal of the minors from her custody. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND A. Prior Dependency Proceedings Mother and her children, nine-year-old Angel M., seven-year-old Blanca M., five- year-old Victoria M., and three-year-old A.P. originally came to the attention of the Department of Children and Family Services (“DCFS”) in early 2006. Over the last eight years the DCFS has received multiple referrals about the family. The DCFS received a report that Angel M.’s father had emotionally abused him and physically abused Mother in 2006. Thereafter in August 2008, the DCFS received a referral that alleged Mother

1 All further code references, unless indicated otherwise, are to the Welfare and Institutions Code. 2 Victoria M. and A.P.’s father Israel P. is a non-offending parent and is not a party to this appeal. 2 failed to supervise the children appropriately, that she abused alcohol, the family home was dirty, the children were unclean and malnourished and did not have sufficient food, and that numerous people came in and out of the home. After an investigation, referral was closed as unfounded. In September 2011 the family began receiving Voluntary Family Maintenance (“VFM”) services after the DCFS received another referral about Mother. The referral alleged the family home was unsanitary and covered in dog urine and dog feces; Mother had failed to administer medication prescribed for A.P.’s eye infection, the children were not bathed regularly, begged for food, and that Mother had instructed the children to not tell anyone what occurred in the home. In addition, Victoria M.’s stepfather witnessed mother submerging Victoria under water in the bathtub and Mother exhibiting mood swings. The children also disclosed and Mother admitted she had hit the children with a belt. The referral was substantiated and resulted in a VFM that included parenting, counseling, and Family Preservation services. Thereafter, in late September 2012, another referral alleged Mother would hit the children, tell them she wished they were dead, and tell them they would be moved to another home if they told anyone what occurred in the home. The referral was closed as unfounded. The VFM was closed on December 3, 2012. Nonetheless, on December 7 and 9, 2012, two additional referrals were received by the DCFS about Mother. They alleged that while three months pregnant with Victoria, Mother abused alcohol and that she had continued to drink too much alcohol; that Mother had passed out, and had also threatened suicide. There were allegations that the home did not have sufficient food for the children, and that Mother spent her food stamps and welfare money on hard liquor for her friends. It was further alleged that numerous people came in and out of the home at all hours of the day and night, and that Mother would stay up late at night and sleep all day leaving the children unsupervised. These referrals were under investigation at the time the current incidents that gave rise to these proceedings occurred.

3 B. Current Dependency Proceedings On December 15, 2012, the DCFS received a referral alleging that Blanca M. had been physically abused by Mother’s roommate, Rosa C. who had been babysitting the children while Mother was staying at her boyfriend’s house for the weekend. Blanca M. told the police officers investigating the claim that Rosa C. struck her back and face with an open hand for no reason. The officers stated they contacted Mother who said she did not have transportation to get to the police station to pick up the children. To the officer investigating the incident, Mother appeared nonchalant about Blanca M. being beaten and the children being in police custody. Angel M. told the DCFS social worker that Rosa C. would watch him and his siblings when Mother went away for the weekend “to party.” For punishment, Rosa would ground him or hit him and Blanca anywhere with an open hand. Asked if he had told Mother that Rosa hit him and Blanca when babysitting them, Angel said “yes, but [Mother] didn’t care.” The maternal grandmother was also interviewed. She said that she was unaware Rosa C. had abused the children until Blanca reported it. The maternal grandmother said Mother would occasionally drop the children off at her home on the weekends to go party. The maternal grandmother opined that Mother’s parenting had improved since the VFM, but there still was work to be done and that Mother “partied” too often. When the social worker met with Mother, Mother stated that she had drug tested for DCFS on December 14, 2012, and then got lost and could not find her way home. She, therefore, went to stay with her boyfriend, whose house she was able to find. Mother denied any knowledge of Rosa C. abusing the children. She denied that she ever “partied” and said she did not like consuming alcohol and denied having any history of substance abuse. Mother also reported that Angel and Blanca were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”) and Angel had been prescribed medication she did not know the name of and had not refilled in two weeks because she had been too busy dealing with her roach infestation. Mother said she was unemployed.

4 Mother also revealed that besides Rosa, another couple and their child resided in her home. Victoria and A.P.’s father, Israel P., was also interviewed.3 He stated that he had separated from Mother, and A.P. and Victoria M. stayed with him on weekends.

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