In re Laylah L.-T. CA1/3

BACKGROUND

Mother has four children and a long history of substance abuse. Mother’s parental rights as to three of the children were terminated before Laylah — her youngest child — was born. Laylah was born in June 2018. She tested positive for amphetamines and was removed from mother’s care. Eight months later, in February 2019, Laylah returned to mother under a family maintenance plan. In August 2020, mother was found passed out in her car while Laylah wandered around a parking lot, barefoot and crying. Laylah was dirty and unkempt. Mother acknowledged “having a drug problem” and admitted smoking methamphetamine the day before the incident. Police officers arrested mother for child endangerment; the Contra Costa County Children and Family Services Bureau (Bureau) filed a petition alleging mother’s substance abuse problem placed Laylah at substantial risk of harm and that mother’s parental rights as to Laylah’s half siblings had been terminated (§ 300, subds. (b)(1), (j)). The juvenile court detained Laylah and provided mother with supervised visitation and a substance abuse treatment referral. In November 2020, the juvenile court declared Laylah a dependent, bypassed…