Mendocino County Department of Social Services v. Shawn P.
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Channell, J.
In February 1989, the juvenile court found that 20-month-old Jeffrey P. (Jeffrey) came within the provisions of Welfare and *1550 Institutions Code section 300, subdivision (b). 1 It placed the child in the custody of respondent Mendocino County Department of Social Services. Appellant Shawn P. (Shawn), the child’s father, appeals, 2 contending that (1) the juvenile court improperly established jurisdiction over Jeffrey because, while the child’s mother might have been an unsuitable parent, he was not; and (2) the court erred in finding Jeffrey to be a dependent child because the department did not properly investigate his ability to provide the child with a suitable home. We affirm the judgment.
I. Facts
In April 1987, Carla and Shawn P. were married. In May, their son Jeffrey P. was born. At the time of Jeffrey’s birth, Carla was almost 16 and Shawn was 21 years old. The family lived together until early in 1988, when the parents separated. Carla and Shawn have begun marital dissolution proceedings, but the marriage appears not to have been dissolved yet. They agreed to shared custody of their son, but no court order formalized this arrangement.