In re Maya L. CA2/7
APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Deborah Losnick, Juvenile Court Referee. Affirmed.
Karen J. Dodd, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.
Richard D. Weiss, Acting County Counsel; Dawyn R. Harrison, Assistant County Counsel; and Navid Nakhjavani, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
A. Initial Referral and Detention
1. Events preceding the section 300 petition
Mother and father lived in separate residences and shared custody of their daughter, Maya L., pursuant to family court order. On November 22, 2012 (Thanksgiving Day), the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) received a referral from law enforcement reporting that Maya, then four-years old, had been thrown from the trunk of a car. According to the referral, Maya’s maternal aunt had been driving with mother while the child was seated in the rear of the vehicle. Mother was inebriated and began striking the maternal aunt in the head. The maternal aunt pulled to the side of the road and the three occupants exited the vehicle. When mother turned away, the aunt placed Maya in the trunk and drove away. The trunk opened while the vehicle was moving, causing Maya to fall. Responding officers arrested mother for public intoxication, child endangerment and assault. Mother was placed in a detеntion facility.
DCFS obtained a police report of the incident, which stated that the maternal aunt had been visiting Los Angeles. According to the aunt, she had driven mother and Maya to Thanksgiving dinner where mother consumed “multiple glasses of wine and was possibly sneaking additional hard alcohol.” During the drive home, mother became
Mother got into an altercation with responding officers, scratching one officer in the face before being pulled to the ground by other officers while screaming “‘fuck you [aunt] this is your fault.‘” During an interview with the aunt, an officer observed a large patch of her hair fall to the ground. Mother was arrested and placed in custody. Maya was examined by paramedics and later released to father.
DCFS interviewed Maya at the police station. The child reported that mother was yelling “‘at my auntie . . . [and] was very mad‘” because the aunt had said some “‘bad things‘” about mother. Maya further reported that “‘[t]hey were arguing about all the drinks they drank all day.‘” According to Maya, mother drank “‘a lot and grandma gets mad because [mother] drinks.‘” Maya denied ever being abused or touched inappropriately.
DCFS also attempted to interview mother at the police station. Mother appeared to be intoxicated and was very upset that the aunt had not been arrested. Mother became belligerent, kicking the cell door and demanding that she be provided a phone call. DCFS terminated the interview “due to the mother’s uncooperative behavior . . . and
DCFS also met with father, who had traveled to the police station to take custody of Maya. Father told the social worker this was not mother’s first incident involving alcohol, explaining that she “gets drunk” and had been previously admitted to the hospital after maternal grandmother (grandmother) found her “passed out.” Father reported that Maya was the subject of an open family court matter and that he was willing to take full custody of her.
Several days after mother’s arrest, DCFS interviewed Maya’s grandmоther, who denied the referral allegations against mother and denied mother had any alcohol issues. The grandmother admitted, however, that mother had been taken to the emergency room two years earlier because she had “passed out from alcohol use.”
2. Section 300 petition and detention
On November 28, 2012, DCFS filed a petition alleging Maya fell within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court pursuant to
In support of the petition, DCFS filed a detention report summarizing its initial investigation. DCFS recommended that the court order the child to remain placed with father and provide mother monitored visits. The report also recommended services for mother, including parenting classes, substance abuse treatment and individual therapy.
B. Jurisdiction and Disposition
1. DCFS’s jurisdiction/disposition report
On January 14, 2013, DCFS provided a “Jurisdiction/Disposition Report” indicating that mother had pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of “obstruction of justice” arising out of the Thanksgiving night incident. The report also included summaries of additional interviews DCFS had conducted with the family members. During an interview on January 7, 2013, Maya told DCFS that mother and aunt “were arguing about their drinks and my mom was biting her on the arm.” She also reported that mother drank alcohol at home, but father did not. Maya told the social worker she wanted to continue living with her “father and stepmother.”
During an interview on January 3, 2013, father told DCFS he had dated mother for two months while living in Los Angeles and then moved back to New York to finish college. While living in New York, mother called and informed him she was pregnant. Mother initially moved to New York to be with father, but “‘it didn’t work out so she moved back.‘” Father reported the relationship had failed in part because mother had a “‘bad drinking problem‘” and would “‘hit [him] around and pass out places.‘” Father later moved to California to be closer to Maya, but mother would not allow him to see the child. Mother and father eventually went to family court and obtained a joint custody order. The family court order prohibited either parent from consuming alcohol while caring for Maya. Father also informed DCFS mother had ongoing issues with alcohol, explaining that “every year something like this has happened.” He also reported that over the past several years, mother had sent him and his family numerous racist, homophobic text messages. Father opposed grandmother serving as Maya’s visitation monitor because he believed the grandmother had enabled mother’s drinking.
DCFS also re-interviewed the aunt, who confirmed the accuracy of her prior statements to the police. The aunt expressed concern that mother’s mental state was deteriorating and believed mother was in need of more intense psychiatric counseling.
In its assessment and evaluation, DCFS concluded mother had “unresolved alcohol issues” and “unresolved mental health issues.” DCFS also reported that mother had difficulty co-parenting with father, which was exacerbated by the grandmother. DCFS believed that Maya would be at substantial risk of harm if returned to mother based on numerous factors, including mother’s ongoing alcohol abuse, her denial of having any problem with alcohol, her failure to accept responsibility for her actions and her inability to understand how her actions had caused her child to be detained from her.
DCFS noted that Maya was doing well in the care of her father, who provided a safe and stable home environment. DCFS recommended the court order Maya to remain in the care of father and his wife with family maintenance services. It further recommended that the court provide mother monitored visitation and reunification services, including drug testing and treatment, a parenting course and individual therapy.
2. Addendum to the jurisdiction and disposition report
In an addendum report dated April 12, 2013, DCFS reported that father had expressed ongoing concerns with grandmother’s role as monitor for Maya. Father informed DCFS that during a recent visit, Maya had returned from mother’s house crying because mother and grandmother yelled at her for not inviting them to her birthday party. Father also provided DCFS a copy of an email mother had sent to the parents of a child in Maya’s class that accused him of being “sadistic” and “ly[ing] about everything.” Mother encouraged these parents to write letters describing her relationship with Maya, which she intended to present to the court. Father provided DCFS with numerous other emails in which mother and grandmother accused him of lying and failing to provide Maya with proper hygiene and nourishment.
DCFS reported that although father was “taking wondеrful care of Maya,” the child appeared too stressed “from visits” with mother and was “feeling torn and . . . in the middle.” DCFS concluded that mother’s complaints regarding Maya’s hygiene and nutrition were unfounded and had no concerns with leaving the child in father’s care. DCFS believed mother was “highly focused on past issues in her relationship with [father] and their prior family law case.” According to DCFS, mother’s recent emails demonstrated she was attempting to “discredit[] father.” Although mother was participating in drug and alcohol treatment and had passed all of her drug tests, she had failed to initiate individual counseling.
In its addendum report, DCFS recommended closing the matter pursuant to
3. Hearing on jurisdiction and disposition
At the jurisdiction hearing, counsel for mother requested that the court dismiss the petition. Father’s counsel agreed with DCFS’s recommendation that the court sustain the petition and then terminate jurisdiction with a family law order awarding father sole physical and joint legal custody of Maya. Maya’s counsel asked the court to retain jurisdiction to permit mother a chance to reunify. Counsel explained that the сhild had
The court sustained a single amended allegation under
On disposition, the court rejected DCFS’s recommendation to terminate jurisdiction and enter a family law order. The court explained that although
C. Mother’s Section 388 Petitions
1. Mother’s first section 388 petition
Three months after the court issued its jurisdiction and disposition orders, mother filed a
On August 2, 2013, the court summarily denied the petition.
2. Mother’s second section 388 petition
Less than four weeks after the court denied her first
In support of the petition, mother provided a letter from her therapist reporting that mother was “learning and practicing ways to manage stressors and anger” and had experienced no “outbursts since our work together.” The therapist further noted that he expected a “pattern of healthy parenting to continue after [mother and Maya’s] reunification.” Mother also presented a letter from her mental health counselor explaining that mother was continuing treatment for depression and appeared to be a bonded, capable parent. Mother provided an additional letter from the director of Maya’s children’s program stating that the director had never witnessed mother exhibit any “anger issues” and that the child had always appeared well-adjusted while in mother’s care. The court set a hearing on the petition on the same date as the six-month review hearing.
On October 10, 2013, DCFS filed a status review report responding to the second
DCFS reported that Maya was doing well in the care of father and had recently completed her individual counseling. A letter from her therapist stated that Maya had originally been diagnosed with “Adjustment Disorder” and exhibited symptoms of anxiety, sleep difficulties, crying episodes and fear of the dark. The therapist also stated that these symptoms had been largely resolved during treatment she received between March and September of 2013.
DCFS also reported that while mother had completed a co-parenting class and other forms of reunification services, she continued to exhibit problematic behavior. In September mother had requested a meeting with DCFS to discuss liberalizing her visits. During the meeting, mother continued to blame the maternal aunt for the events that led to mother’s arrest, denied having any issues with alcohol and claimed that she had only one glass of wine on the night of her arrest. According to DCFS, mother “wished to make the entire meeting about father and his inability to care for Maya and how he is [an] unfit parent.” Although DCFS attempted “to . . . redirect her to discuss her [own] progress,” she remained focused on father. Mother also denied that she had any issues or behaviors that needed to be addressed, explaining that her only issue was “having a sister who created the problem.” Mother also asserted the “the Dependency Investigator[’s] . . . report is all lies” and that DCFS had continually “disregarded the fact that Maya was terrified to live with [father]” and “wanted to live with her.” DCFS subsequently interviewed Maya, who stated that she had no fear of her father.
DCFS also reported that, at the end of a recent visit with mother, Maya told the monitor she had “changed her mind about living partly with mother and father and wanted to live mostly with mother and ‘spend some nights with father.’” After removing
Mother’s counselor provided a positive report, explaining that he believed mother was making progress and that he had never seen her experience any type of anger-related outburst. When DCFS informed the therapist of the recent problems it had with mother, the therapist stated he was surprised because mother had never exhibited such behaviors in his presence. DCFS believed mother was “reporting one side to [the therapist] and another to [DCFS].” Based on its own interactions with mother, the agency concluded that she still refused “to take any responsibility,” continued to “blame[] . . . DCFS for the current situation” and had not yet developed an ability to co-parent. DCFS recommended that the court deny the
At a hearing on October 11, 2013, the court denied the
Shortly after her second
Five weeks later, mother filed a third
The petition alleged these changes were necessary because (1) DCFS had “given [the child] a psychological disorder“; (2) Maya was “better cared for physically, emotionally and psychologically [by mother]“; (3) Maya “continually asks to come home“; and (4) “father tells her I do not want her, which is why he has her.” The court set the petition for a hearing on February 11, 2014 and continued the six-month review hearing to the same date.
D. Six-Month Review Hearing and Termination of Jurisdiction
1. DCFS progress report and response to third section 388 petition
On February 7, 2014, DCFS provided a progress report that included a response to the third
The report described several events that had occurred during recent monitored visits with Maya. On November 21, 2013, grandmother and mother visited with Maya at a local mall. The grandmother asked the social worker why the visits needed to be
Following this incident, DCFS required that all future visits occur at the DCFS regional office. When informed of this change, mother told DCFS she would no longer permit the agency to “interact[] with [Maya]” and accused the sоcial worker of being an “abuser” who needed to be “removed.” Over the next three weeks, mother failed to attend her scheduled monitored visits. Mother resumed her visits on January 16 and 24, 2014. During those visits, she spent about “30 to 40 minutes . . . just staring at the [social worker] over the back of Maya’s head.” According to the report, mother stared “continuously . . . . as if trying to intimidate [the social worker].”
The report also indicated mother continued to make complaints against father. During a monitored visit, Maya had told mother her neck was sore because father had pulled her out of the way of an oncoming horse. Mother immediately informed DCFS it needed to investigate whether father had choked Maya. During several subsequent visits, mother inquired why father had not been reported for choking Maya. DCFS, however, had spoken to father and Maya about the incident and concluded he had not choked the child. Father explained that, during a recent visit to San Diego, he had pulled Maya out of the way of an oncoming horse carriage. Maya had no marks on her neck and denied
Mother also continued to report concerns about Maya’s hygiene, alleging that father had given the child head lice and did not bath her or comb her hair. DCFS investigated these allegations and found the child to be in good condition. Maya reported that she was bathed and had her hair brushed every night before bed. Although the director of Maya’s school confirmed Maya was one of several students who had develоped lice, the director stated that there was no evidence suggesting the lice had originated with Maya.
DCFS also reported that, as a result of the mother’s recent behavior, father had reinitiated Maya’s individual therapy. Maya’s therapist informed DCFS that, since December, the child had attended five sessions and appeared to be “very much caught in between her parents.” The therapist further stated that Maya was “very confused” and had started using the term “I don’t know” as a “way of not talking about a something so she does not feel like she will get someone in trouble.” DCFS expressed similar concerns about Maya’s mental state, explaining that she had begun expressing feelings of “confusion” as the result of mother’s behavior and felt like “she did something wrong” whenever mother said Maya should be living with her.
In its assessment and evaluation, DCFS concluded that “Maya has grown immensely under the care of her father and his wife” and exhibited “comfort and attachment” toward both of them. DCFS had “no concerns in Maya being under the care of her father.” It did, however, have “concern” rеgarding mother’s behavior and believed it would not “be in the best interests of the child that she be returned to her mother or that visits be liberalized.” According to DCFS, despite eight months of therapy, mother still
2. Six-month review hearing
On February 11, 2014, the court held a hearing on mother’s
The court then invited the parties to present their evidence on the contested
Mother called Maya and herself as witnesses. Maya, who testified in chambers, stated that she enjoyed living with father and her mother. She expressed a desire to live with mother on the weekends and father during the week. She also stated that she loved mother and had no fear of her. When asked to discuss several of the incidents described in the DCFS reports, Maya repeatedly stated that she could not remember.
Mother repeatedly denied, however, several of the incidents described in the DCFS reports. First, mother denied that she had acted aggressively toward DCFS during the November incident at the mall. According to mother, the social worker had attempted to break up the family’s prayer circle. In response, mother had asked “can we please continue to pray,” at which point the “circle was aggressively shaken apart by the case worker, and that pretty much ended the visit right there.” Mother denied she had done anything to cause the social worker to try to rеmove Maya from the prayer circle and denied that grandmother ever called the social worker a “child abuser.” Mother asserted there had been no conflict until the social worker interfered with the prayer circle.
Mother also denied staring at the social worker during her recent January visits. Mother testified that, contrary to DCFS’s claims, the social worker had actually been staring at mother and Maya, which caused Maya discomfort. Mother also denied making any reports or complaints about father’s alleged failure to keep Maya clean, about choking the child or engaging in sexual conduct in the child’s presence.
Mother also affirmed her belief that DCFS had caused Maya to have “psychological disorders” and was violating the child’s rights by refusing to allow her to return to mother’s custody. Mother claimed her frustration with DCFS had caused her to develop “skin lupus” and “lose 20 pounds.”
At closing argument, mother’s counsel argued there was no risk of returning Maya to mother’s care, nor was there any evidence mother had “put Maya in the middle or is somehow trying to make her choose.” Counsel also argued mother and grandmother’s interactions with DCFS were not relevant to any placement decision regarding Maya. Counsel contended the evidence suggested Maya’s emotional distress was caused by
Counsel for DCFS, father and Maya, however, each argued that mother’s testimony was not believable and that the case should be terminated with a family law order providing father sole custody of Maya and monitored visits for mother. Each counsel asserted mother still appeared to blame others for what had occurred, lacked insight and demonstrated a continuing inability to co-parent.
The court agreed, explaining that it did not find mother credible. The court also noted that a significant amount of the conduct described in the DCFS reports had occurred after mother completed her co-parenting course, suggesting that she still presented a risk to Maya. The court then terminated its jurisdiction and entered a family law order providing father custody of Maya with monitored visits for mother.
DISCUSSION
A. DCFS was not required to establish that returning Maya to her mother’s care would create a substantial risk of detriment to the safety, protection or physical or emotional well-being of the child
Mother initially contends that the juvenile court applied the wrong standard at the six-month review hearing. The juvenile court explained that because Maya had been placed with her father, it was applying the standards set forth in
1. Summary of applicable statutes
a. Statutes governing placement of the child at disposition
Once the juvenile court has assumed jurisdiction, the cоurt must hold a disposition hearing to determine, among other things, an appropriate placement for the child. The court generally has three choices. First, if the court determines the child would not be at substantial risk of physical or emotional harm if left in the custody of the offending parent or parents, the court may leave the child in parental custody and “order family maintenance services to ameliorate the conditions that made the child subject to the court’s jurisdiction.” (Bridget A. v. Superior Court (2007) 148 Cal.App.4th 285, 302 (Bridget A.);
Second, if the court determines the child would be at substantial risk of physical or emotional harm if left in parental custody,
If the court places the child with a noncustodial parent under
The second option is set forth in subdivision (b)(3), which states: “[If the court places the child with a noncustodial parent, it may] [o]rder that the parent assume custody subject to the supervision of the juvenile court. In that case the court may order that reunification services be provided to the parent . . . from whom the child is being removed, or the court may order that services be provided solely to the parent who is assuming physical custody in order to allow that parent to retain later custody without court supervision, or that services be provided to both parents, in which case the court shall determine, at review hearings held pursuant to Section 366, which parent, if either, shall have custody of the child.”4
Finally, if the court determines removal from parental custody is necessary and there is no noncustodial parent willing to assume custody, the court must order the child under the supervision of the social worker, who is then responsible for selecting an appropriate out-of-home placement. (See
b. Six-month review hearing
“If a child has been declared a dependent of the juvenile court and placed under court supervision, the status of the child must be reviewed every six months.” (Bridget A., supra, 148 Cal.App.4th at p. 303.) The applicable standards at the six-month review hearing differ depending on the child’s placement.
The statute, however, includes a separate paragraph describing the procedures used at a six-month review hearing for a child who was removed from a custodial parent and placed with a noncustodial parent pursuant to
Thus, under
2. The juvenile court was only required to determine whether its supervision was still necessary, not whether returning Maya to mother’s care would place the child at substantial risk of harm
The parties do not dispute that, during the disposition hearing, the juvenile court: (1) ordered Maya removed from mother’s physical custody and placed the child with father, who qualified as a noncustodial parent under
DCFS contends that because Maya was placed with a parent (fаther), the juvenile court properly concluded that the six-month hearing was governed by the standards set forth in
Under the statutory framework summarized above, however, neither party is entirely correct. First, contrary to DCFS’s position, numerous cases have concluded that because
Moreover, as mother correctly argues,
Mother is incorrect, however, that
We further conclude that although the juvenile court erroneously referenced
B. The Trial Court Did Not Abuse its Discretion in Awarding Custody to Father
In the remainder of her brief, mother argues that we must reverse the juvenile court’s custody order because DCFS failed to provide “substantial evidence [that] returning Maya to her mother’s care, by way of a joint legal and physical custody arrangement, would create a substantial risk of detriment to her safety, protection or physical or emotional well-being.” Mother argues that none of the conduct set forth in DCFS’s reports, including her failure to accept responsibility for her child’s detention,
Although mother has presented her argument under the wrong legal standard, it is nonetheless apparent that she is challenging the trial court’s decision to award father sole legal and physical custody of the child.5
1. Standard of review
We review a juvenile court’s custody orders for abuse of discretion. (See Bridget A., supra, 148 Cal.App.4th at p. 300; Nicholas H., supra, 112 Cal.App.4th at p. 265, fn.4 [court has “broad discretion to make custody orders when it terminates jurisdiction in a dependency case“]; cf. In re Stephanie M. (1994) 7 Cal.4th 295, 318-319 [change of placement determinations are generally reviewed under an “abuse of discretion” review].) “When applying the deferential abuse of discretion standard, ‘the trial court’s findings of fact are reviewed for substantial evidence, its conclusions of law are reviewed de novo, and its application of the law to the facts is reversible only if arbitrary and capricious.’ [Citations.]” (In re C.B. (2010) 190 Cal.App.4th 102, 123.)
2. The juvenile court’s order awarding custody of Maya to father was not an abuse of discretion
“When making a custody determination in any dependency case, the court’s focus and primary consideration must always be the best interests of the child. [Citations.] Furthermore, the court is not restrained by ‘any preferences or presumptions.’ [Citation.] Thus, for example, a finding that neither parent poses any danger to the child does not mean that both are equally entitled to half custody, since joint physical custody may not
Based on the evidence in the record and the juvenile court’s factual findings at the six-month review hearing, the court did not abuse its discretion when it awarded father custody of Maya. The record contains overwhelming evidence that father provided excellent care for Maya and that father and daughter shared a strong, loving bond. DCFS consistently reported it had no concerns regarding father’s ability to care for the child and repeatedly recommended the court provide him with custody. Maya’s counsel made the same recommendation.
In contrast, the DCFS reports and visit logs demonstrate that even after completing a parenting course and participating in months of anger management therapy, mother continued to display erratic, aggressive behavior toward DCFS while in the presence of the child. During the three month period preceding the review hearing, mother repeatedly confronted DCFS about the need for monitored visits and attempted to intimidate multiple social workers. On one occasion, mother blocked the monitor from accessing the child, while repeatedly asking why she was not permitted to have unmonitored visits. Although the monitor directed mother to stop asking those questions in front of the child, mother refused. During two other visits, mother continually stared at the DCFS monitor while Maya sat in her lap. Mother also repeatedly told Maya she should be living with mother and, at one point, instructed the child to tеll DCFS she wanted to live with mother. DCFS reported that this conduct had caused Maya to feel like she was doing something wrong. Shortly before the review hearing, Maya’s therapist similarly reported that the child was feeling confused about the parents’ dispute and feeling “caught in between her parents.”
The record also contains evidence that mother continually exposed Maya to the grandmother, who engaged in erratic behavior throughout the dependency proceeding. In October of 2013, DCFS removed grandmother as Maya’s visitation monitor based on combative behavior she had exhibited toward father in the child’s presence. Several months later, grandmother attended a monitored visit with Maya and proceeded to chant
The record also contains evidence that mother continues to minimize her role in these events and deflect blame toward her sister, DCFS and father. In a report filed in October of 2013, DCFS indicated that mother refused to discuss any issues related to her own behavior and was focused entirely on father’s alleged inability to care for Maya. In a section 388 petition filed in December, mother alleged DCFS was falsifying its reports and had caused Maya to suffer “psychological disorders.” She made similar statements at the six-month review hearing. After listening to mother’s testimony, the court concluded that she was not credible and continued to “deflect . . . responsibility.”6
Given the extensive evidence of mother’s recent erratic conduct during monitored visits and her ongoing refusal to accept responsibility for any wrongdoing, the court was entirely justified in concluding that mother has not yet developed the ability to co-parent effectively and that a joint custody order would not currently be in Maya’s best interests .
The juvenile court’s order terminating jurisdiction and accompanying custody order are affirmed.
ZELON, J.
We concur:
PERLUSS, P. J.
WOODS, J.