In re A.H. CA4/2

BACKGROUND

This dependency action concerns two of mother’s daughters, A.H. (born 2021) and

B.H. (born 2020). Mother has six older children who are not relevant to this appeal.

Both children were born in San Diego County before mother brought them back to

Mexico. However, neither child’s birth was ever recorded, and therefore neither has a

birth certificate.

Plaintiff and respondent San Bernardino County Children and Family Services

(the department) received a referral in September 2022 requesting mother’s children be

repatriated from Mexico. The referral alleged all eight children, plus mother and the

father of some of the children, were living in a car in Tijuana. The referral further

alleged the children were “malnourished, neglected and surviving in poor conditions.”

Later that month Mexican authorities transferred custody of the children to the

department.

The department filed petitions under Welfare and Institutions Code section 3001

alleging A.H. and B.H. fell under subdivisions (b) and (g). Specifically the petitions

1 Unlabeled statutory citations refer to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

2 alleged, among other things, that mother failed to ensure the…