In re B.A. CA2/8

BACKGROUND

1. Overview of Proceedings This dependency proceeding began four years ago, in 2018, when B.A. was an infant. She was detained from her parents for a litany of reasons, including ongoing Department cases concerning three of her siblings and a half sibling. B.A. was initially placed with her maternal grandmother. She was later removed from maternal grandmother’s home and placed in the care of a family friend who also had custody of B.A.’s siblings. The parents failed to reunify with B.A. and the court terminated reunification services in July 2019. The family friend caring for B.A. wanted to adopt her. However, he passed away while the proceedings were pending, and B.A. and her siblings were placed with a relative of the family friend, Ms. B. Ms. B agreed to adopt B.A. After a series of delays to resolve impediments to adoption, the court terminated parental rights and ordered adoption by Ms. B. as B.A.’s permanent plan. 2. Facts Relevant to ICWA Inquiry In September 2018, at the initial appearance hearing, mother filed a parental notification of Indian status form (ICWA-020) indicating “I have no Indian ancestry as far as I know.”

2 Father did not appear at the…