In re A.B. CA3

BACKGROUND

Father, mother, three-year-old minor Athena B., and 18-month-old minor A.B., came to the attention of the Agency when, on May 22, 2019, the parents took A.B. to the emergency room due to concerns she appeared sleepy and sedated. The parents reported that, in the past, A.B. had slept for long, uninterrupted periods of 28 hours (in December 2018) and 18 hours (in January 2019), and that A.B. was “wobbling” and then “collapsed” with shallow breathing and she “turned blue around the lips.” While an initial drug test of A.B. was negative, a subsequent drug test determined the minor was positive for Norfentanyl, a metabolite of Fentanyl. Mother denied having any Fentanyl in the home but stated the paternal grandmother did have some unknown prescriptions. The parents could not explain how the Fentanyl got into the minor’s system. The family reportedly had a history of being uncooperative with law enforcement, medical staff, and Child Protective Services (CPS). When staff informed the parents that CPS would be notified, father became uncooperative regarding the minor’s treatment. He and mother took the minor from the hospital against medical advice and before they could be…