Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. Kimberly G.

*617 Opinion

Mother Kimberly G. and father K.P. 1 appeal the termination of their parental rights over their son K.P., contending that the juvenile court erred in failing to apply the parent-child relationship exception to the statutory preference for adoption. We find that substantial evidence supported the juvenile court’s findings and that the court did not abuse its discretion in declining to apply the exception, and we affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

K.P. was detained shortly after his November 2008 birth when drugs and firearms were found at the home where he lived. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) filed a petition alleging that K.P. came within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under Welfare and Institutions Code 2 section 300, subdivision (b). The juvenile court found K.P. a dependent child on January 14, 2009.

According to reports filed by DCFS prior to the section 366.21, subdivision (e) review hearing, K.P. was in good health and was doing well in foster care. Father was incarcerated. Kimberly G. recently had enrolled in a program for substance abusers and her single drug test was negative. Her counseling…