In re A.R. CA4/2

FACTS

As we’ve described in previous opinions,1 in November 2017, mother gave birth

to her second child, and both mother and daughter tested positive for amphetamine.

Mother told the social worker she had started using methamphetamine in May 2015 and

admitted she had smoked methamphetamine two days before giving birth. She told the

social worker she had an autistic seven-year-old child living with her as well.

The maternal grandmother told the social worker mother had recently moved into

her home. She said she was aware of mother’s past drug use but believed she had stopped

using drugs. She said the older sibling wasn’t in school because he was being transferred

to a school closer to home. After a meeting involving social workers, mother, the younger

child’s father, and the maternal grandparents, the department placed the family under a

voluntary family maintenance plan, which included an agreement that mother would

submit to random drug testing and enroll in a perinatal program.

Unfortunately, mother shortly thereafter forged a document claiming she

completed a substance abuse treatment program and continued to use methamphetamine,

so the department removed the…