CA2/1

BACKGROUND

Son came to the attention of the DCFS on September 15, 2014, after he arrived at school with bruises on his cheek and thigh and his description of how he got them was inconsistent with the bruises’ appearances. When interviewed by DCFS, Son revealed his mother, L.V. (Mother), had hit him with a belt. A forensic examination confirmed the bruise on his thigh was consistent with being struck by a belt and the bruise on his face was consistent with being slapped in the face. On October 7, 2014, the juvenile court issued a removal warrant authorizing DCFS to take Son from Mother and place him with Father. A week later, on October 14, 2014, DCFS filed a dependency petition under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (a) and (b) based on Mother’s physical abuse of Son; the petition also included allegations regarding Mother’s abuse of Son’s half sister, D.C. (Sister).1 We do not address the allegations as to Sister because they are not at issue here. Almost two weeks later, on October 27, 2014, law enforcement pulled Father over for running two stop signs and, after asking for his identification, discovered Father was driving on a suspended license. The…