R.K. v. Superior Court CA6
In September 2016, the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department (Department) filed a petition under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (b)(1) and (j) relative to an infant boy, D.L. (the minor). The Department alleged that the mother, R.K. (mother), and the father, D.L. (father), had a history of substance abuse. Mother had used methamphetamine, marijuana, and nonprescribed valium during her pregnancy, and the minor was born with controlled substances in his system. The toxicology report indicated that the minor had tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and diazepam (valium). The minor was cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital for 15 days until his discharge. The Department reported that “[a]s a newborn, [the minor] required oxygen, medication, and a feeding tube in order to survive.”
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