In re A.L. CA6

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Section 300 Petition The Santa Cruz County Human Services Department filed a dependency petition with respect to then four-year-old A.L., after mother was arrested for driving under the influence, and officers found A.L. home alone with bottles of medication close by, minimal food in the refrigerator, and the house in disarray. (§ 300, subd. (b).) The petition alleged that mother’s substance abuse issue was negatively impacting her ability to care for A.L. The petition also alleged that father, in custody at the time, had a history of substance abuse and domestic violence. B. Family Reunification and Maintenance The court sustained the petition and removed A.L. from mother’s care. Finding that placement with father would be detrimental, A.L. was placed in foster care, and the court ordered reunification services for both parents. Over the next year, mother and father participated in their case plans and received generally positive reviews. At the 12-month reunification review, the court, following the department’s recommendation, ordered A.L. returned to the care of mother and father, with shared physical custody and family maintenance services.…