C.A. 4th;
D071772

The Fourth Appellate District affirmed dependency court orders. The court held that no error was shown in the dependency court's exercise of jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) over minor children raised in Mexico.

American-born K.C. lived in Mexico for nine years with minor children A.C. and E.C. In May 2015, she was apparently deported to the U.S. The dependency court asserted emergency jurisdiction over the minors due to K.C.'s apparent mental health issues, and then attempted to contact the courts in Mexico to determine if there was any opposition to the court taking subject matter jurisdiction. Despite two emailed inquiries and several telephone calls, the court was unable to obtain a response. On July 15, 2015, the court found it had complied with the requirements of the UCCJEA, the Mexican court had declined to exercise jurisdiction, and it accordingly had subject matter jurisdiction. Reunification efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, and, in February 2017, the court terminated K.C.'s parental rights.