In re Kimberly S.

Leanne W. (defendant) had a child, Kimberly S., born in September 1996. In December 1996, Leanne was arrested for being under the influence of drugs. The Fresno County Department of Social Services (department) filed a juvenile-dependency petition, alleging that Leanne could not properly care for Kimberly because Leanne had an addiction to drugs. The department placed Kimberly with an aunt. In April 1997, the court found that the allegations in the petition were true and ordered Leanne to undergo treatment. Later in the year, Kimberly began living with a grandmother. At a hearing that fall, the court found that Leanne had been abstaining from drugs and progressing in her treatment requirements. The court ordered reunification efforts to continue, and Kimberly remained with the grandmother. Leanne abstained from drugs but did not fulfill her treatment requirements. In February 1998, Leanne told the department that she was giving her parental rights to the grandmother and leaving the area to visit her other children in a different state. Based on Leanne’s statements and failure to fulfill her treatment requirements, the department recommended that the court end reunification efforts and order the department to begin making plans for Kimberly’s permanent care. At a 12-month review hearing, the juvenile court adopted the department’s recommendations. The court ordered Kimberly to remain in the care of her grandmother. At the subsequent permanency-planning hearing, the court found that the grandmother was a suitable person to adopt Kimberly. The court found that Leanne’s visits to Kimberly had been sporadic and terminated Leanne’s parental rights in August 1998. Leanne appealed, arguing that she had the right to an opportunity to enter a kinship-adoption agreement before her parental rights were terminated.