Dominic B. v. Superior Court CA1/5

BACKGROUND

On October 31, 2023, a section 300 petition was filed by the San Francisco Human Services Agency (Agency) seeking to detain Minor, born in October 2023. Among other things, the petition alleged that Mother and Father had substance abuse and mental health issues, and that they left Minor at the hospital on October 26 and had not returned for the child or responded to attempts to communicate. In its detention report, the Agency stated that Mother used fentanyl during her pregnancy. Minor experienced withdrawal and was placed on morphine to manage the symptoms, and she had to be fed via a feeding tube. An Agency social worker had spoken to Minor’s parents at the hospital, and they reported living on the street for the first five months of Mother’s pregnancy. Mother reported fentanyl use for the prior two years and Father “denied any current drug problem.” The Agency referred Father for random drug testing. After Minor’s parents left the hospital on October 26, 2023, the Agency social worker sent them text messages at the phone numbers they provided, encouraging them to return to the hospital. She received a message from Father’s phone number stating, “wrong number,” and…