In re A.D. CA4/3

FACTS

A.D. was born in January 2019. In June 2020, SSA sought a warrant to take her into protective custody based on evidence that she had no relationship with J.D., and that her mother had left her in the custody of a paternal relative since mid-2019. That relative, in turn, passed custody of A.D. to unrelated third parties who wished to adopt her. On July 2, 2020, SSA filed a juvenile dependency petition, alleging that dependency jurisdiction was proper under Welfare and Institutions Code1 section 300 based on the parents’ failure to protect and provide for A.D., and their inability to provide for her based on mental illness, developmental disability, or substance abuse.

1 All further statutory references are to this code.

2 The petition alleged the parents initially resided with A.D. in an unsanitary home, but had subsequently left A.D. in the custody of third parties.2 It alleged that A.D.’s mother vacillated on the issue of relinquishing her parental rights and allowing A.D. to be adopted by her caretakers. The petition further alleged that A.D.’s mother may have unresolved mental health issues, that she engages in self-harming behavior, and that she has a history of…