[CaddoRose]

Ask questions of the CPS CW. You should know why the child is in care and if the parents are actually working their plan. You should also know if CPS is looking for relatives to possibly take the child too. If they find relatives, they will do a home study and then CPS will approve a move to them. I just like to know as much info as possible so I can prepare for whatever future might be coming. You are lucky with only to visits a month. We have one visit every week for an hour and it can be so hard on the kids. Asking questions should not make them move a child from our home because they want a child to stay in one place as long as possible until RU or TPR.

RU depends on what the parents do and where you live. I know even in the same state other places are not as hard core as they are where I live. Our CPS and judges hold the parents to a hard line and will TPR if they don't follow their plan. The parents are given a course of items they must complete that can include parenting classes for 6-8 weeks, drug testing, counseling, anti-violence therapy, getting a full time job, having appropriate housing and whatever else they think the parents need.

In my county it works like this:In general, you could expect a child to be in your home for 6 months(if no relative placement if found) because they usually give the parents 6 months to do their plan and there are a series of hearings set up on a 6 month schedule. If at the 6 month mark, the parents haven't done everything or keep failing, the court can give them another 6 months, so you could have the child a year. At the end of a year, the judge can order TPR or to return the child. If the judge orders TPR, the parents can appeal and get yet another 6 months, but at the end of that time, they can not get any more. The judge will TPR.

We all have different stories about how this system works and how long we have had children in our home before TPR. There isn't a one size fits all on this and no matter what, you can't know what will happen until the judge actually signs the TPR order. Things can change in an instant.

On the issue of confidentiality; we don't give personal details involving names or places, but we all give details about situations that we need help on without revealing who the child is. This is why we give your foster children initials or cute names to identify them on the forums. I have had Sweetpea and Bubba, Little Lucy and others and use these names when asking about help.

I would also suggest you talk regularly to the CPS CW and keep her updated. It really helps if you can establish a good relationship with CPS even if you are licensed with a private agency. I have to do daily reports on babies for my agency and I would send that info over to the CPS CW as well, just so she had the same info. They can use that in court.