In re L.A.
Appellant S.V., mother of L.A., appeals from a juvenile court order terminating her parental rights under Welfare and Institutions Code section 366.26.[1] Ten month old L.A. was taken into custody and subsequently detained after her father punched her mother in the face causing mother to drop the child. At the time of the incident, the parents were participating in voluntary family maintenance services, but had three times prior failed to abide by a safety plan. The Santa Cruz County Human Resources Department (the Department) recommended placing the child in a foster home and offering the parents reunification services. Because of the parents long history of substance abuse and domestic violence, on February 22, 2008, the juvenile court sustained the petition filed pursuant to section 300, subdivision (b) and ordered the child placed out of the home. The court also ordered services for the parents including supervised visits twice per week.
Despite initial progress in her case plan, by the time of the six month review hearing, the Department recommended termination of services. Mother had relapsed, had left her residential drug treatment program and had been terminated from Family Preservation Court. As a result, the juvenile court terminated services and set the matter for a section 366.26 hearing.
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