In re Laylah L.-T. CA1/3

Filed 12/9/21 In re Laylah L.-T. CA1/3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

In re Laylah L.-T., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY A162606 CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES BUREAU, (Contra Costa County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. J2000456) v. V.T., Defendant and Appellant.

V.T. (mother) appeals from a juvenile court order terminating parental rights as to her daughter, Laylah L.-T., at the conclusion of a permanency planning hearing (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 366.26).1 Mother contends the court erred by failing to apply the beneficial relationship exception to termination of parental rights. We disagree and affirm.

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

1

BACKGROUND Mother has four children and a long history of substance abuse. Mother’s parental rights as to three of the children were terminated before Laylah — her youngest child — was born. Laylah was born in June 2018. She tested positive for amphetamines and was removed from mother’s care. Eight months later, in February 2019, Laylah returned to mother under a family maintenance plan. In August 2020, mother was found passed out in her car while Laylah wandered around a parking lot, barefoot and crying. Laylah was dirty and unkempt. Mother acknowledged “having a drug problem” and admitted smoking methamphetamine the day before the incident. Police officers arrested mother for child endangerment; the Contra Costa County Children and Family Services Bureau (Bureau) filed a petition alleging mother’s substance abuse problem placed Laylah at substantial risk of harm and that mother’s parental rights as to Laylah’s half siblings had been terminated (§ 300, subds. (b)(1), (j)). The juvenile court detained Laylah and provided mother with supervised visitation and a substance abuse treatment referral. In November 2020, the juvenile court declared Laylah a dependent, bypassed reunification services (§ 361.5, subds. (b)(10), (11)), and scheduled a permanency planning hearing. Mother received supervised visitation twice a month. Despite acknowledging that she needed substance abuse treatment to keep Laylah safe, mother left a treatment program. The Bureau’s permanency planning report recommended terminating parental rights. According to the Bureau, Laylah was adoptable, and her foster parents — with whom Laylah had a “close and secure attachment” — wanted to adopt her. Laylah called her foster