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Name: Fresno Co. Dept. of Social Services v. A.R. et al.
Case #: F084250
Opinion Date: 12/08/2022
Attorney: Karen Jean Dodd, Suzanne M. Nicholson
Summary

In an appeal from the termination of parental rights, the court concluded that the Department of Social Services and the juvenile court did not satisfy their duty to inquire into the extended family’s possible Native American ancestry. The error was not harmless. The juvenile court’s finding that the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) does not apply was conditionally reversed and the case was remanded for compliance with ICWA.