In re Javon C. CA2/2

FACTS

The minor was born in December 2006. From February 2007 to January 2008, father was given family reunification services and family maintenance services in connection with the minor’s half-brother, Korey C. (Korey). A court granted father custody of Korey and terminated the case with a Family Law Order.2 The Department of Children and Family Services (Department) received a referral regarding an incident on October 14, 2011. While the minor was riding on a bus with his mother J.E. (mother) and father, father hit the minor in the mouth when he asked for a snack. It caused his lip to bleed. A social worker interviewed the minor and Korey. They stated that they lived with father and mother, that father regularly hit them, and that mother “never says anything[.]” When Father was interviewed, he denied hitting or grabbing the minor. Instead, father claimed he put his arm in front of the minor to prevent him from falling off his seat when the bus came to a stop. Mother was also interviewed. She disclosed that she had been arrested for shoplifting and child endangerment, she had been diagnosed with depression and taking anti-depressants for 15 years, and she had been hospitalized…