Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. A.R.

247 Cal. App. 4th 1292, 203 Cal. Rptr. 3d 91, 2016 Cal. App. LEXIS 447
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 6, 2016
DocketNo. B268442
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 247 Cal. App. 4th 1292 (Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. A.R.) 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
Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. A.R., 247 Cal. App. 4th 1292, 203 Cal. Rptr. 3d 91, 2016 Cal. App. LEXIS 447 (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

Opinion

TURNER, P. J.

I. INTRODUCTION

The mother, A.R., appeals from the September 29, 2015 order terminating her parental rights. She argues the juvenile court should have applied the beneficial parent-child relationship exception pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code1 section 366.26, subdivision (c)(l)(B)(i). The juvenile court reasonably concluded the mother failed to show her relationship with the children outweighed the benefits of adoption. We affirm the order.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On October 22, 2013, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (the department) filed a section 300 petition. The petition was filed on behalf of four-year-old Noah G. and newborn Jose G. The petition alleges the children are dependents of the juvenile court under section 300, subdivision (b). The petition alleges the mother has a history of illicit drug abuse, including marijuana and methamphetamine; this drug use renders her incapable of providing the children with proper care and supervision; the mother used illicit drugs throughout her pregnancy with Jose; the mother tested positive for methamphetamine at Jose’s birth on October 16, 2013; and the mother’s drug abuse endangered the children’s health and safety and placed them at risk of physical harm and damage.

At the October 22, 2013 detention hearing, the juvenile court found the department made a prima facie showing that the children were described by section 300, subdivision (c). The juvenile court released the children to the mother over the department’s objection. The department was ordered to provide family maintenances services to the mother and father; refer the [1295]*1295family to family preservation services; make unannounced home visits; and refer the parents for weekly random and on-demand drug testing.

At the March 4, 2014 adjudication and disposition hearing, the juvenile court sustained the amended petition under section 300, subdivision (b). The children were placed in the home of the parents under the supervision of the department. The parents were ordered to participate in individual, drug and alcohol counseling, random alcohol and drug testing, and parenting classes.

On August 4, 2014, the department filed a supplemental petition pursuant to section 387. The section 387 petition alleges the parents tested positive for drugs and failed to regularly participate in a substance abuse treatment program. The parents’ failure to comply with the juvenile court’s orders endangered the children’s health and safety and placed them at risk of physical harm. At the detention hearing on the supplemental petition, the juvenile court detained the children. The juvenile court ordered the department to provide the family with family reunification services. The parents were granted monitored visits at least twice a week with the department having discretion to liberalize visits and to release the boys to a parent.

At the September 19, 2014 jurisdiction and disposition hearing, the juvenile court sustained the allegations in the section 387 petition. The juvenile court ordered the children placed with their maternal grandmother. The department was ordered to provide the family with reunification services. The parents were granted monitored visits at least twice a week for at least one hour with the department having discretion to liberalize. The parents were ordered to participate in individual, alcohol, and drug counseling; random alcohol and drug testing; and parenting classes. At the May 4, 2015 six-month review hearing, the juvenile court found the children’s return to the parents’ custody would create a substantial risk of detriment to the youngsters’ well-being. The juvenile court found the parents were not in compliance with the case plan and terminated family reunification services.

At the section 366.26 hearing on September 29, 2015, the juvenile court found by clear and convincing evidence that the children would likely be adopted. The juvenile court found the beneficial parent-child relationship exception did not apply and terminated parental rights. The juvenile court explained: “It is clear that the parents have had regular consistent visitation and contact and do have a parental role and relationship in the children’s lives, but they have participated in no programs in over a year. [¶] The younger child has lived with them less than half of his life. The case law and code discussed two different things; one is the extent to which the parental role and relationship outweighs the benefit of permanence to adoption, which I don’t think the parents have shown, especially in light of their failure to [1296]*1296participate in anything in the last year and the fact that they still have monitored visits. [¶] The limited amount of time that Jose has lived with them and Noah being out of their care for over a year. Second issue is whether it would be emotionally detrimental to the children to terminate the parental role and relationship, and at this point there’s been no showing that it would be emotionally detrimental to the children, especially to Jose. [¶] The children enjoy visiting with their parents and having the parents over, would like to be able to live with their parents, if they could, but that is impossible. Even the extent to which the mother discusses Noah being unhappy when she leaves at the end of the day, really didn’t show that being to the level of emotional detriment.”

The mother filed her notice of appeal on September 29, 2015.

III. EVIDENCE

A. October 22, 2013 Detention Report

On October 16, 2013, the department received a referral alleging the mother and Jose tested positive for amphetamines. The mother did not receive prenatal care during her pregnancy with Jose. She started using methamphetamine and marijuana 10 years ago, using drugs on the weekends or on a monthly basis. The mother began using drugs because of the pressure of taking care of the maternal great-grandmother. She used methamphetamine from January to June 2013 because she did not think she was pregnant. The mother stopped using methamphetamine in June but admitted she used drugs in August and on October 13, 2013. The children were released to the father. The parents and the children’s social worker agreed the father and the children would move in with the maternal grandmother, Pamela R.

B. Jurisdiction and Disposition Report

The March 4, 2014 jurisdiction and disposition report states the children remained in the care and custody of the parents. The children were bonded with the parents. The parents agreed they would benefit from the substance abuse treatment programs. They also agreed to comply with all court-ordered services including random drug testing. But the parents failed to appear for drug tests. The parents also had not participated in any drug treatment program but reported they would start soon.

C.August 4, 2014 Detention Report

On July 30, 2014, the children were detained after the mother tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine. The mother tested positive [1297]*1297for cannabinoids on March 10, 2104. Of the 14 random drug tests scheduled from March 25 to July 14, 2014, the mother missed 12 tests. The mother tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine on July 23, 2014, when she came for intake at a substance abuse treatment program.

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

Related

In re J.J. CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2023
In re K.C. CA1/2
California Court of Appeal, 2023
In re X.O. CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2023
In re Victor S. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2022
In re E.M. CA6
California Court of Appeal, 2022
In re D.P. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2022
In re Wyatt B. CA4/3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re T.T. CA1/4
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re J.D.
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re Steven M. CA1/4
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re Caden C.
California Supreme Court, 2021
In re B.D. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
C.T. v. Superior Court CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re Christian P. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re J.A. CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re J.C. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re Cameron T. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re A.N. CA2/8
California Court of Appeal, 2020
In re Valerie G. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2020
In re S.T. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2020

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
247 Cal. App. 4th 1292, 203 Cal. Rptr. 3d 91, 2016 Cal. App. LEXIS 447, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/los-angeles-county-department-of-children-family-services-v-ar-calctapp-2016.