San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency v. Mary H.

146 Cal. App. 4th 1, 2006 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 11802, 52 Cal. Rptr. 3d 364, 2006 Daily Journal DAR 16730, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 2039
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 11, 2006
DocketNo. D048471
StatusPublished
Cited by56 cases

This text of 146 Cal. App. 4th 1 (San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency v. Mary H.) 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
San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency v. Mary H., 146 Cal. App. 4th 1, 2006 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 11802, 52 Cal. Rptr. 3d 364, 2006 Daily Journal DAR 16730, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 2039 (Cal. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

Opinion

IRION, J.

Mary H. and Simon G. (together, parents) appeal an order under Welfare and Institutions Code section 3871 removing their daughter, H.G., from the home of her paternal grandparents (Grandparents). They also appeal a judgment terminating their parental rights to H.G. under section 366.26. We hold the court erred when it sustained the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency’s (Agency) supplemental petition under section 387 without considering whether the child’s placement was no longer appropriate in view of the criteria in section 361.3. We reverse the order under section 387 and necessarily reverse the judgment terminating parental rights, rendering moot Mary’s and Simon’s challenges to the court’s findings under section 366.26.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On March 12, 2004, Simon was walking with H.G., then age three. H.G. was underdressed for the weather and appeared to be extremely cold. She was crying. Simon had been drinking. A concerned citizen called the police. Simon told the officer that he and H.G. were homeless and they had been sleeping on the street. H.G.’s mother was transient and Simon did not know where she was. H.G. had not eaten recently. Simon was taking his daughter to his parents’ home to ask them to care for her.

The officer contacted H.G.’s grandparents. Grandparents were afraid of Simon because of his violent temper and criminal history. They refused to accept responsibility for H.G. The police officer took the child into protective custody. A few days later, H.G. was detained with a maternal aunt (Aunt).

The Agency filed a petition under section 300, subdivision (b) alleging H.G. had suffered or was at substantial risk of suffering serious physical harm or illness due to her parents’ failure to provide adequate shelter, [5]*5clothing and supervision. The Agency also alleged under section 300, subdivision (g) that H.G. was left by her parents without any provision for support. In April, the Agency filed another count under section 300, subdivision (b), alleging H.G.’s mother, Mary, had an admitted history of marijuana and methamphetamine use, including recent use, and allowed Simon to care for H.G. knowing he used alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamine. The Agency reported that Mary had a history of child welfare referrals concerning four older children, dating back to 1987.

On April 15, 2004, Mary and Simon submitted to jurisdiction and to the Agency’s recommendations for disposition. The court removed H.G. from parental custody, placed her with Aunt, and ordered a plan of family reunification. Services included counseling, parenting education, and substance abuse treatment and testing through the Substance Abuse Recovery Management Systems program (SARMS).

In July 2004, Simon and Mary entered a faith-based residential treatment program that provided drug and alcohol treatment, anger management counseling, a 12-step program and other support services. Mary and Simon responded “extremely well” to substance abuse treatment. Mary worked her way into a leadership position with the faith-based program, and Simon was employed full-time with an affiliated construction company. H.G. visited her parents every week and was excited to see them. She was happy and well adjusted in Aunt’s care.

In March 2005, the court placed H.G. with Mary on a 60-day trial visit. The social worker reported H.G. was happy to be with her mother and frequently visited her father. At the 12-month review hearing in April, the court returned H.G. to Mary’s custody.

On August 2, 2005, the Agency received reports that Mary and Simon had left the recovery program after Mary tested positive for methamphetamine, and Simon was drunk and refused to test. Their whereabouts, and H.G.’s, were unknown. On August 23, Simon came to Agency offices seeking treatment services. He reported that he and Mary had relapsed, and she had left him, taking H.G., his van, and his money. Simon did not know where they were. The social worker referred him to SARMS and Simon reentered residential treatment the next day. On September 27, Simon visited Agency offices to inform the social worker that Mary and H.G. were staying at a motel in El Cajon. They were located that evening.

[6]*6H.G. was detained at Polinsky Children’s Center while the Agency evaluated her relatives for placement. On October 19, 2005, the Agency placed H.G. with Grandparents and, in November, the court confirmed the placement order and authorized Grandparents to exercise H.G.’s education rights and provide legal consent for her medical, surgical and dental care.

Grandparents enrolled H.G. in preschool, attended to her dental and therapeutic needs, invited the extended family to celebrate her fifth birthday, took her camping, and provided a safe and loving environment. Grandparents were open to visits and outings by H.G.’s extended family and were “very cooperative” in ensuring H.G.’s court-appointed special advocate (CASA)2 was able to visit her frequently. The CASA considered the placement “highly successful” and observed that H.G. seemed very happy with Grandparents.

The court terminated Mary’s and Simon’s reunification services in November 2005 and set a section 366.26 hearing. Grandparents initiated the adoption process. On December 30, 2005, social worker McAdams was assigned to the case.

In late December 2005, Grandparents’ youngest son became critically ill. He died on January 7, 2006. Simon attended the funeral and services on January 12 and 13. When the CASA called the home several days later to see how the family was doing, Simon answered the telephone. The CASA was concerned Simon was living in the home and contacted the Agency.

The social worker spoke to Simon’s mother (Grandmother) on January 18, 2006, about Simon’s presence in the home. Grandmother told her that if she wanted to have her son in her home, she would do so. The following week, H.G. told the social worker that her father tucked her into bed at night and Grandmother “smacked” her on the head because she would not kiss her great-grandmother.

On February 1, 2006, the social worker picked up H.G. from Grandmother, told Grandmother she was taking H.G. to visit her mother, and instead placed H.G. in temporary foster care.3 The Agency filed a petition under section 387, alleging that H.G.’s placement with Grandparents was no longer [7]*7appropriate in view of the criteria in section 361.3 because Grandparents allowed Simon to have unauthorized contact with H.G.

In February 2006, five-year-old H.G. was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and reactive attachment disorder, disinhibited type.4

On March 8 and April 13, 2006, the court held a contested adjudication and disposition hearing under section 387. The CASA reported that she telephoned Grandparents’ home on January 17, 2006, and Simon answered the telephone. He told her his parents were picking up H.G. from school and then running errands.

Grandmother testified that her youngest son passed away on January 7, 2006. She had not had any contact with Simon for three years. She did not invite him to his brother’s funeral. Services were held in church on January 12 and in Grandparents’ home on January 13. Grandmother was “out of it for days” and she was only vaguely aware of Simon’s presence. H.G. was home, playing with her cousins.

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146 Cal. App. 4th 1, 2006 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 11802, 52 Cal. Rptr. 3d 364, 2006 Daily Journal DAR 16730, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 2039, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/san-diego-county-health-human-services-agency-v-mary-h-calctapp-2006.