In re S.G. CA4/3

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In March 2014 plaintiff Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) filed a dependency petition on behalf of child, alleging child suffered or was at substantial risk of suffering serious physical harm due to mother’s failure to adequately protect her or mother’s inability to properly care for child due to substance abuse, or both. The petition was based on five factual allegations. First, mother did not timely pick up child from school and when she arrived it appeared she was intoxicated. After failing to pass a field sobriety test, mother was arrested for driving under the influence and for driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher. Second, mother and child had been homeless, living in the car, for the past month. Third, mother “may have a substance abuse problem.” Child explained “mother drinks ‘bad stuff’ and gives herself shots to ‘take out her blood.’” Fourth, mother had hit child with a belt. Finally, the alleged father’s whereabouts were not known and he had not provided proper support or care of the child. At the jurisdiction and disposition hearing, the court admitted the jurisdiction dispositional report and three addenda…