In re L.H. CA4/1

BACKGROUND

In May 2011, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (the Agency)

filed a dependency petition on behalf of eight-year-old L.H. The petition alleged that her

father, U.H. (Father), had sexually abused her, and that Mother had been aware of the abuse

and had failed to protect L.H.

L.H. was initially detained at Polinsky Children's Center (Polinsky) with her one-and-

one-half-year-old sister, Leslie H.2 Later, the girls were detained with a nonrelative extended

family member. In July 2011, the court entered a true finding on the dependency petition,

ordered L.H. placed in foster care and ordered reunification services for Mother. The girls

were returned to Polinsky for a couple of days before being moved to a foster home. The girls

lived together until September 2012, when the foster parents said that they could no longer care

for Leslie due to her severe tantrums. Leslie was moved to a new foster home.

Father was convicted of two counts of sexual intercourse with a child 10 years or

younger (Pen. Code, § 288.7, subd. (a)) and was sentenced to consecutive prison terms of

years to life. L.H. testified at his criminal proceedings. Mother…