CHILDREN AND THE LAW
...Dependency Petitions
......Dispositional Hearing
.........Reunification & Visitation
............Reunif. After Severe Abuse (W&I 361.5)
 11 Cards On This Topic:
  • Reunification services may be denied if child has suffered severe sexual or physical abuse by a parent or guardian.
  • Failure to reunify with sibling or half sibling after sibling or half sibling removed; parent has not subsequently made reasonable effort to treat the problems that led to the removal.
  • Factors to consider in determining whether to order reunification after severe sexual or physical abuse.
  • Order granting reunification services to mother of injured baby after services bypassed was reversed where juvenile court applied the wrong legal standard and failed to make necessary findings.
  • Neither error nor abuse of discretion in denying F reunification services with C who was removed in a prior dependency case based on severe physical abuse of his sibling by parents.
  • Plain language of W&IC 361.5(b)(6) refers to parent's torturous acts or omissions that would reasonably be understood to cause the severe physical ••harm•• of serious emotional damage—physical ••injury•• not required.
  • Juvenile ct. properly applied W&IC §361.5 in denying reunification services to 28-yr.-old F who murdered 13-yr.-old girl when he was 15 yrs old.
  • Juv. ct. identified F as offending parent when it sustained amended W&IC 300 (j) petition alleging both parents inflicted severe physical abuse on C's sibling, which satisfied W&IC 361.5 (b)(6) requirements for denial of reunification.
  • Reunification required because “sibling” as used in W&IC 361.5 (b)(6) did not include abused former foster child who was not biological "sibling" of guardians' current ward and biological child.
  • Parents' callous disregard for child's welfare in leaving him in apt. for months and not seeking medical treatment for broken leg justified denial of family reunification services under W&IC 361.5 (b)(6).
  • Parent who deliberately inflicts severe physical harm on child not entitled to reunification services with him or with other dependent children.


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