CHILDREN AND THE LAW
...Dependency Petitions
......Jurisdictional Hearing
.........Summary of Law/In General
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Summary of Law: Jurisdictional hearings.

Grounds for dependency jurisdiction narrowed.

Legislative purpose to provide maximum safety and protection for children currently being physically, sexually, or emotionally abused, neglected, or exploited; to ensure safety, protection, well-being of children at risk of harm.

Father's failure to raise a justiciable issue, because he did not challenge all jurisdict'l findings re C, required dismissal of his appeal; court need only find one parent's conduct triggered W&IC 300 for court to assert jurisdiction over C.

Mother's conduct that endangered Cs was enough to establish dependency court jurisdiction against father as well.

Jurisdictional finding good against one parent is good against both and M is dependent if actions of either parent bring her within one of statutory definitions of dependent.

Mother must be informed that failure to appear at settlement conference could result in default and could turn SC into jurisdictional/dispositional hearing.