In re M.L. CA2/8

BACKGROUND

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services received a referral in May 2012 that the children, ages one and two years, were generally neglected and emotionally abused based on mother‟s and father‟s drug use and unstable housing. The family drifted from shelters to motels. The paternal grandmother and paternal aunt had previously let the family live with them in their homes, but both paternal relatives had to ask the family to leave because of father‟s temper, anger and aggression toward mother. The parents constantly traumatized the children by arguing and fighting in their presence.

2 The family law court had awarded full custody of the children to father, but mother generally stayed with father and the children. Paternal grandmother told the social worker that father and mother used drugs. She reported that father had used drugs since he was very young, and though he had attended a program and temporarily changed his life, he went back to abusing drugs. According to paternal grandmother, father and mother were “birds of the same feather,” who were inseparable yet yelled and fought in the presence of the children. Paternal grandmother reported…