In re A.A. CA4/2

I. INTRODUCTION

Defendant and appellant, M.A. (Mother), is the mother of two children declared

dependents of the juvenile court in January 2013: A1, a boy, born in May 2007, and A2,

a girl, born in May 2010. Mother appeals the juvenile court’s November 13, 2014, orders

denying her petition for further reunification services (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 388),

summarily and without a hearing, and the court’s further orders terminating parental

rights and placing the children for adoption (§ 366.26).

Mother claims the court erroneously denied her section 388 petition without

conducting an evidentiary hearing on the petition, and further erred in declining to apply

the parental beneficial exception to the statutory adoption preference at the section

366.26 hearing. (§ 366.26, subd. (c)(1)(B)(i).) We find no error and affirm the

challenged orders.

II. BACKGROUND

A. The Events Leading to the Children’s Dependency

In October 2012, A1, then age five, came to school with a bruised and swollen

eye. A1 initially said his friend had punched him, but then he said that was not true,

began to cry, and would not say anything further. A social worker went to the family

home, a…