In re C.B. CA3

BACKGROUND

In February 2019, Calaveras County Health and Human Services Agency (the Agency) filed a section 300 petition on behalf of minors C.B. (then age 22 months) and F.B. (then age seven months) based on domestic violence involving the parents, mother’s mental health issues, father’s substance abuse, and the unsanitary conditions of the home. The juvenile court took jurisdiction, declared the minors dependent children of the court, removed them from parental custody and provided reunification services.3 Parents were provided twice weekly visitation with the minors. The minors were returned to parental custody with family maintenance services in August 2019, but removed again after a protective custody warrant was issued in October 2019. The minors were placed in the same concurrent foster-adopt home in which they had been previously placed. Parents were again provided twice weekly visitation with the minors. Parents failed to reunify, and services were terminated in May 2020. Visitation was reduced to one hour per week. The contested section 366.26 hearing took place on October 7, 2020. Evidence was presented that parents regularly attended visits, the minors are always…