In re E.R. CA2/4

BACKGROUND

In October 2013,2 Father and Veronica M. (mother), who had been married for 16 years, were living together with their six children, ranging in age from 14 to almost three years old. On or before October 10, father was interviewed as part of an investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services (the Department) regarding his child with another woman, Rita S. The interviewer noticed that father had bloodshot eyes and was very thin, and believed that father might be under the influence of drugs. Father agreed to submit to an on-demand drug test. The results showed that father was positive for amphetamines and methamphetamine. Based on the positive test results, a referral was made on October 16, alleging general neglect by father and mother toward their six children. On October 16, a social worker from the Department made a home visit to father’s and mother’s home. Although the social worker observed that the home was dingy, she noted that all utilities were in working order, no visible safety hazard was present, and there was no indication of drug or alcohol abuse in the

1 Further undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code. 2…