In re C.H. CA2/5

INTRODUCTION

Objector and appellant T.H. (father) appeals from the juvenile court‘s exit order that, in effect, reinstated a family law custody order upon termination of the juvenile court‘s jurisdiction. According to father, the juvenile court abused its discretion when it failed to consider the best interests of his daughter, C.H., and instead improperly deferred to the family law court on the custody issue. In response to father‘s appeal, C.H.‘s mother (mother) contends that because the issues that gave rise to the detention of C.H. and the change in custody had been resolved, it was not an abuse of discretion for the juvenile court to return C.H.‘s custody to the schedule established by the family law custody order. We hold that the juvenile court‘s exit custody order reaffirming the family law custody order was reasonable under the circumstances and, therefore, not an abuse of discretion. Accordingly, we affirm the juvenile court‘s custody order.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In 2010, the family law court ordered that C.H. would live primarily with mother and visit father every other weekend and on Thurdays in the off weeks. On February 23, 2011, DCFS filed a Welfare and Institutions…