Guardianship of J.G. CA1/1

I. BACKGROUND

The minor was born in February 2004 into a deeply dysfunctional home. Mother had been a methamphetamine addict from age 18, and his father had a long criminal record, including charges of kidnapping, armed assault, and domestic violence. When the minor was seven months old, Mother abandoned him with Guardian, her own mother. Mother did not oppose a petition for appointment of Guardian as a temporary guardian, filed in November 2004. At the time, as Mother later recognized, she “was in no condition to take care of myself or a child.” The guardianship was made permanent in February 2005, just after the minor’s first birthday. Mother’s involvement in the minor’s life over the following two years was sporadic, as she continued to struggle with drug abuse. Despite her problems, however, she visited with the minor fairly frequently and remained a presence in his life. Conflict between Mother and Guardian began almost with the inception of the guardianship. In late 2005, Mother was forced to apply for relief to the probate court when Guardian, as she admitted, refused to comply with the court’s visitation order. In requiring compliance, the court noted, “It is not…