In re J.L. CA2/8

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

I.L. (mother) has four children, all of whom are in the dependency system. This appeal concerns only mother’s third child—J.L. In a petition filed December 8, 2010, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) alleged mother and her male companion had a history of engaging in violent altercations in front of then seven-month-old J.L. The petition was sustained, and mother received 18 months of reunification services. J.L. eventually was returned to mother’s care. However, J.L. was subsequently detained in April 2013 after her younger sister was hospitalized for dehydration. On April 15, 2013, DCFS filed a supplemental petition alleging that mother’s medical neglect of J.L.’s younger sister placed J.L. at risk of harm. Mother did not appear at the jurisdictional hearing, and the petition was sustained. Mother was not given reunification services. Mother told a social worker that she would like J.L. and her younger sister placed in DCFS’s custody for their safety because she did not have a place to live.1 On June 4, 2013, the court ordered J.L. to be placed in the same home as her older brother C.P. because J.L. had an existing…