In re C.M. CA4/1

BACKGROUND

1. 2007-2009

Mother and her husband are Sudanese immigrants and, on February 11, 2007,

mother gave birth to C.M., their third child. When C.M. was born, her two older siblings,

10-year-old P. and one-year-old E., were dependents and had been detained in foster care

due to domestic violence between mother and her husband and extreme corporal

punishment P. had endured; on February 14, 2007, plaintiff and respondent San Diego

All further statutory references are to the Welfare & Institutions Code. 2 County Health and Human Services Agency (the agency) filed a sibling petition under

section 300, subdivision (j) with respect to C.M., and C.M. was placed in foster care.

Two weeks after C.M.'s birth, the initial petition was dismissed and C.M. was

returned to her mother. However, six months later, in August 2007, a second petition

was filed with respect to C.M. At that point, mother had regained custody of her two

older children and had resumed a pattern of physical abuse of the older siblings and

excessive alcohol consumption. C.M. was detained in foster care.

In 2009, P. was in long-term foster care, mother's parental rights over E. had…