In re A.S. CA2/8

FACTS

A.S., who is now three years old, was detained by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Department) on April 3, 2012, shortly after he was born. His mother, who now has six children, has a long history of substance abuse and a long history with the Department. She failed to reunify with four of her older children, who are under legal guardianship. On August 31, 2012, the juvenile court found A.S. to be a dependent child of the court, sustaining jurisdictional allegations under section 300, subdivisions (b) and (j). The court found mother had a history of illicit drug abuse, was a current user of methamphetamine, and used illicit drugs during her pregnancy with A.S. Other sustained allegations were that the four older siblings were receiving permanent services due to mother’s drug abuse, mother and father had a history of domestic violence, and A.S.’s father physically abused A.S.’s older siblings and mother failed to take action to protect the siblings. A.S. was placed with his maternal uncle and the uncle’s wife soon after he was born, and has remained with them throughout the dependency proceedings. They are now his prospective adoptive…