In re A.C. CA6

I. Statement of Facts

On September 22, 2010, the Department of Family and Children‟s Services (Department) filed petitions alleging that three-year-old A.C., three-month-old L.H., and two-year-old V.C. came within the provisions of section 300, subdivisions (b) [failure to protect].2 The petitions alleged: (1) the children were at significant risk due to repeated exposure to domestic violence between their mother and her boyfriend A.B., L.H.‟s father, (2) the police responded numerous times to the family‟s home on domestic violence calls, (3) the mother exhibited symptoms of untreated mental health problems, (4) A.C. reported that his mother and A.B. regularly hit him on his head, torso, and buttocks with a belt, their hands and sandals, (5) the mother had a history of methamphetamine use and tested positive for methamphetamine in family court in 2009, and (6) the mother failed to acknowledge the danger that A.B. posed to her children. All three children were detained and supervised visitation was ordered for the mother. In November 2010, the jurisdiction/disposition report was filed. The social worker recommended that the juvenile court take jurisdiction of the children, remove…