San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency v. Michael E.

Michael E., Sr., appeals from the juvenile court’s order denying his fiancée status as a nonrelative extended family member (NREFM) under Welfare and Institutions Code section 362.7. 1 We affirm the order.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In January 2012, five-year-old Michael E., Jr. (Michael), was adjudicated a dependent of the juvenile court due to domestic violence and his mother’s alcohol abuse. Michael was placed in relative care with a maternal great-aunt and -uncle. Michael’s father had not had any contact with him since approximately October 2009 and his whereabouts were unknown.

In May, Michael’s relatives said they were no longer able to care for him. The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) detained Michael in foster care. 2 In June, Michael’s mother, Jennifer E., realized she was not ready to care for Michael and asked the social worker to initiate an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC; Earn. Code, § 7900 et seq.) to allow her parents, who resided in Michigan, to take guardianship of Michael. The social worker reported that Jennifer and *673 Michael had lived with the grandparents until November 2010, when the…