Minors. J.D. v. Southdakota (In re H.D.)

SLOUGH J.

Recognizing she suffered from addiction, S.D. (mother) agreed to let her ex-husband, E.D. (father), assume full custody of their two daughters-who had previously lived primarily with her-until she could get clean and sober. She underwent treatment, and 14 months later, sought to regain partial custody in family court. About a week after mother filed for custody, father's wife, J.D. (stepmother), filed petitions to free the girls from mother's custody and control based on abandonment, so stepmother could adopt them. ( Fam. Code, § 7822, subd. (a)(3), unlabeled statutory citations…