In re T.D. CA2/4

BACKGROUND

A. Referral, Detention, Adjudication, and Disposition T.D. came to the attention of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in late 2021, when it was reported her mother, Jocelyn, had been violent with family members in T.D.’s presence and smashed the windshield of an aunt’s car. Family members reported Jocelyn drank alcohol daily and excessively. Jocelyn did not appear for drug testing arranged by DCFS and eventually refused to test. In December 2021, DCFS filed a petition under section 300 alleging T.D. was at risk of serious physical harm from Jocelyn’s violent behavior, her failure to protect, supervise, and care for T.D., and her history of substance abuse and current alcohol abuse. The petition alleged H.P. knew or should have known of Jocelyn’s substance abuse but failed to protect T.D. Four days after the petition was filed, H.P. filed a Statement Regarding Parentage indicating he was T.D.’s father and describing his history with the child and Jocelyn. Jocelyn filed a Parentage Questionnaire that identified H.P. as T.D.’s father and supplied additional facts about H.P.’s role in T.D.’s life, for example, that he signed…