In re C.T. CA1/2

BACKGROUND

I. Events Leading Up to the Setting of a Section 366.26 Hearing We extensively recounted the events leading up to the juvenile court’s setting of a section 366.26 hearing in our previous unpublished opinion, T.T. v. Superior Court, No. A144740, issued in August 2015. We will not repeat them here at great length. In May 2013, the Contra Costa County Children and Family Services Bureau (Bureau) filed a petition pursuant to section 300. C.T., then four months old, had been removed from the custody of mother, then 20 years old, and detained because of mother’s2 alleged failure to protect him pursuant to section 300, subdivision (b) for a number of reasons. At the heart of the Bureau’s concerns was that mother had exposed C.T. to a physically and emotionally abusive encounter between her and her father (C.T.’s grandfather) in which police had intervened. The juvenile court found certain stipulated allegations to be true, asserted jurisdiction over C.T. and, in its disposition order, ordered that C.T. be placed in foster care and reunification services be provided to mother. At first, mother refused to participate in services, but made enough progress by June 2014 to regain…