In re Ezra K. CA2/2

BACKGROUND

April 2016 Dependency Petition In April 2016, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) filed a dependency petition

1 All further statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise indicated. 2 We refer to Noel and Ezra, collectively, as minors.

2 under section 300 seeking the juvenile court’s exercise of jurisdiction over minors. In pertinent part, the petition alleged that minors’ mother, L.M. (mother),3 left minors alone without adult supervision for three hours. Ezra has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder and is immobile. Mother was inconsistent in providing medication to Ezra. Mother had been arrested for “Child Cruelty: Possible Injury/Death.” Father was nonoffending. Nearly a year later, in April 2017, the juvenile court declared minors dependents under section 300, subdivision (b)(1) (failure to protect). Minors were placed with father under DCFS supervision. Mother was granted unmonitored visitation. Father’s court-ordered case plan required him to participate in parenting classes regarding special needs children. December 2017 Supplemental Petition Minors were detained from father in…