Orange County Social Services Agency v. Kim J.
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Wallin, J.
Kim J. appeals the judgment under Welfare and Institutions Code section 366.26 2 terminating her parental rights to her daughter, Melinda. In the published portion of this opinion, we reject her contention that the Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) did not comply with statutory or due process notice requirements. The discussion rejecting her claims that the court failed to consider her current circumstances when terminating her parental rights and failed to appoint counsel for the grandparents is not published.
Melinda J. was born in July 1987 to Kim J., a 27-year-old single mother who supported her heroin addiction by engaging in prostitution and illegal drug sales. In December 1988, Kim left Melinda with a casual acquaintance and never returned. After seven weeks, the acquaintance turned the child over to Kim’s father and stepmother (the grandparents); unable to locate Kim, they contacted the SSA for help.
*1416 A petition was filed on March 21, 1989, under section 300, subdivision (b), alleging Kim had left Melinda and never returned and that she had a history of drug abuse and related arrests. After several continuances, the jurisdictional and…