In re Shelby K. CA5

INTRODUCTION

In April 2015, Melissa O. (Mother) was found in the street with her two children: Caden O. and Shelby K. At the time, Caden O. was 13 months old and Shelby was seven years old. Caden was naked and shivering, and Shelby was in dirty pajamas and no shoes. Shelby said the family had not eaten for days. Mother was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, and the two children were placed in foster care. Eventually, Mother’s parental rights were terminated. Mother challenges that result on the grounds that the juvenile court’s determination that the children were adoptable lacked substantial evidence. We disagree and affirm.

BACKGROUND

Mother’s sole argument on appeal is that the trial court’s finding the children were adoptable was not supported by substantial evidence. Consequently, our recitation of the facts focuses on the evidence pertinent to that issue. (Cf. Sciborski v. Pacific Bell Directory (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 1152, 1157.) In this background section, we briefly discuss the circumstances that led to the dependency. We discuss the evidence concerning the substantive issue on appeal in the subsequent “Analysis” section. Dependency Petitions On April 8, 2015,…