Fabian L. v. Superior Court

Fabian L. (Father) challenges the termination of reunification services at the six-month review hearing, regarding his three-year-old daughter A.L. He asserts there was insufficient evidence to support the juvenile court’s finding that as an incarcerated parent he failed to make substantive progress in his court-ordered treatment plan and the court abused its discretion in terminating reunification services. Finding his arguments lack merit, we deny his writ petition.

I

On February 27, 2012, two-year-old A.L. was taken into protective custody after her paternal great-grandmother and paternal grandmother took the child to a hospital. Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) filed a petition alleging A.L. fell within the provisions of Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivision (b) (failure to protect). 1 The hospital staff reported the child was in an “unkempt condition,” having an odor and redness in her vaginal area. They observed A.L. had numerous bruises and scratches to her face. She was diagnosed as having a urinary tract infection. The child’s 22-year-old mother (Mother) was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for A.L.’s physical…