In re C.B. CA4/2

INTRODUCTION

C.B (father) appeals from the juvenile court’s order terminating parental rights

(Welf. & Inst. Code,1 § 366.26) as to his children, C.B., Jr. and Josie B. (the children).

Father contends the matter must be conditionally reversed and remanded because the

court failed to ask two paternal relatives about the children’s possible Native American

ancestry. We conditionally reverse the order terminating parental rights and remand for

further proceedings.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND2

Father and Jamie N. had two children together — C.B, Jr. and Chloe N.. Father

later married another woman named Tamara B., and they had one child together — Josie

B.

On January 26, 2021, the San Bernardino County Children and Family Services

(CFS) filed petitions on behalf of C.B., Jr., who was nine years old at the time, and Josie

B., who was six years old. Both petitions alleged that the children came within the

provisions of section 300, subdivisions (a) (serious physical harm), (b) (failure to

1 All further statutory references will be to the Welfare and Institutions Code, unless otherwise indicated.

2 The first portion of the procedural background is taken from the…