In re P.B. CA4/1

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Initial Proceedings and Placement M.T. (Mother) and M.B. (Father) had three children, P.B., S.B., and L.B. The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) detained the children, then ages 10, seven, and two, respectively, in September 2023 and filed dependency petitions on their behalf. The family had previously lived in Washington and Oregon, where they experienced involvement by welfare agencies. To support the petition and continued detention, the Agency alleged the children were living in unsanitary conditions, exposed to and tested positive for drugs, routinely left home alone, and malnourished. The court held a detention hearing and found that the Agency had stated a prima facie case for initial removal and continued detention of the children.

Undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code. 2 The parents did not maintain consistent communication with the Agency or regular visitation with the children, and they did not begin services pursuant to the case plan. We do not further detail the circumstances of removal or the parents’ involvement in the case, as they are not at issue.…