In re Jossiah R. CA2/3

BACKGROUND

Mother and father have five children together: Jossiah and Jailenne, and their three older siblings.2 The children also have adult half-siblings.3 In July 2017, DCFS placed all five children in protective custody and filed a section 300 petition on their behalf based on mother’s alleged drug possession and neglect of the children. Father was incarcerated at the time. As mother had been arrested, the social worker could not interview her about the children’s possible Indian ancestry. On July 11, 2017, mother signed and filed a Parental Notification of Indian Status form (ICWA-020) stating, “I have

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code. “[W]e use the term ‘Indian’ throughout to reflect the statutory language.” (In re Dezi C. (2024) 16 Cal.5th 1112, 1125, fn. 1 (Dezi C.).) We intend no disrespect. 2 Although all five children were part of these dependency proceedings, only Jossiah and Jailenne are the subject of this appeal. Father is deceased. 3 One of the children’s half-siblings was 17 years old at the time and a subject of the dependency proceedings.

2 no Indian ancestry as far as I know.” At the July 11 detention…