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As promised, i checked with my CASA supervisor whose word I trust as close to gospel since she has been working in the juvenile court system for decades. Legal custody in the state of Ohio is considered permanent but it does maintain the parents right to visit and the parents responsibility to support. Yes, legal custody can be challenged for two reasons: 1. child's situation deteriorated and custodian can no longer care for child and 2. custodian agrees to change in custody. A parent can file for legal custody but I am told they do not win it back unless 1 or 2 above happens.
The rest of your post, Hadley, contains alot more invididual situations than I am unable to even consider commenting on, but I understand your frustrations.
I still disagree that Legal Custody is not sometimes the appropriate option, although admittedly not as permanent as adoption. If I were queen of the world, things would be different, but I have to deal with reality -- the way it is in my county, in my state and in my opinion, the system is broken and in desperate need of repair. But until that miracle occurs, and when adoption is not imminent (due to judges, courts, caseworkers or whatever) - a child is much better off in the legal custody with somebody he loves and trusts (relative or non-relative) than he is in the temporary custody of child services - JMO!
It's not black and white . . . .its a lot of grey.
There are relatives who see no involvement with "the system" as a positive (I happen to be one of them). You can apply for services in a child-only case - you don't need the system to do it for you. However, it is helpful and many times necessary to have "the system" provide services as Hadley outlines.
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