N.B.

FACTS

In 2023, N.B. (Mother) was living with her children J.B. and G.B.2 At the time, J.B. was 15 years old. He has autism and is legally blind. G.B. was then two years old and suffers from a number of serious medical conditions including: needing a gastronomy tube (G-tube) for feeding, hearing loss, seizures, perinatal stroke, and aspiration-reflux. In July 2023, J.B. was psychiatrically hospitalized and subsequently released to Mother’s custody. A mental health nurse and law enforcement officers went to Mother’s house because J.B. had not picked up his medication. They found the home to be unsafe and unsanitary. They learned that G.B. recently had an infection in his G-tube that caused it to burst in his abdomen. San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services (DSS) visited Mother’s home and found it filthy with trash and blocked walkways throughout. Mother and J.B. had physical altercations for which Mother blamed J.B. She accused J.B. of threatening G.B. A male friend of Mother, R.S., threatened J.B. with weapons at least twice. DSS learned from service providers that Mother had a history of not following through on her children’s medical needs. DSS detained the children…