In re Chase M. CA2/2

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

I. Facts

A. Family circumstances Stacey A. (mother) has three children—Hayleigh A. (born December 2013), Chase M. (born January 2016), and Dallas A. (born March 2020). Each child has a different father. Chase is father’s son. Father was arrested and placed in custody on a robbery charge in 2016, when Chase was three or four months old. Father was released from custody in 2020. Father has never made any effort to contact Chase, either while he was in custody or after his release. Father has also never contributed any child support. Father lives in Connecticut, where he has two daughters by other women; father does not have custody of either daughter, but visits them regularly.

2 Mother moved from Connecticut to California in 2018. The maternal grandmother (MGM) has helped mother with the children. Since May 2019, MGM has had a legal guardianship and full custody of Hayleigh. From October 2018 to October 2020, and at mother’s request, MGM also had full custody of Chase as well as Hayleigh. Both Chase and Hayleigh expressed how much they love each other and love living with each other. During this period, Chase had some behavioral problems:…