In re C.S. CA4/3

FACTS

In early October 2018, the Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) took C.S. and A.C. into protective custody after Mother and A.C. tested positive for methamphetamine after A.C.’s birth. A.C. required treatment in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, having symptoms of high temperatures, excessive sleeping, and episodes of irregular breathing. Because she had difficulty feeding, A.C. needed a nasogastric tube in her nose for nutrients. Mother self-reported using methamphetamine during her pregnancy and admitted she did not receive any prenatal care.2 SSA’s original petition alleged, under section 300, subdivision (b)(1), that the parents had unresolved histories of substance abuse, domestic violence, and criminal activity that posed a risk of harm to the children. The petition alleged Mother may have unresolved/untreated mental health issues. The paternal grandmother (Grandmother) reported Mother hit herself while pregnant with C.S. and once pushed C.S. into the street so he would be hit by a car. Furthermore, the parents lacked safe and stable housing. Mother self-reported she had been sleeping in a van parked outside Grandmother’s home. The petition asserted…