In re I.B. CA2/5

I. INTRODUCTION

Mother L.P. (mother) appeals from an order terminating dependency jurisdiction and ordering a guardianship of I.B. (the child). Mother’s sole argument on appeal is that the juvenile court and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Department) failed to comply with their initial inquiry obligations under the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA; 25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.) and related California statutes (Cal-ICWA; Welf. & Inst. Code1, § 224 et seq.). We conditionally reverse for further ICWA inquiry of maternal relatives.

Further statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise indicated.

II. BACKGROUND2

In December 2021, the Department received a referral alleging general neglect of the child by mother and emotional abuse of the child by the child’s father I.B., Sr. (father). On February 22, 2022, mother advised the Department that neither she nor father had any Indian ancestry. On February 24, 2022, the Department filed a section 300 petition alleging that mother and father engaged in domestic violence in front of the child, and that mother had a history of substance abuse.3 On March 1,…