The Court of Appeal found the Agency failed to satisfy its inquiry and notice obligations under the ICWA and related California law. The Agency was informed that the maternal grandmother had Native American ancestry, but made no effort to investigate family members. Notice to the tribes was also incomplete. The “affirmative duty to gather relevant information…is critical to ensure that the notice requirements are satisfied in a meaningful way.” Pursuant to “established appellate practice,” the order terminating parental rights was conditionally reversed and remanded to ensure compliance with the ICWA.
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