[roxanna425]

the first option for pemanency placement is usually reunification, not adoption. without a permanecy plan (ie mental health, chemical dependency treatment, parenting classes) services cannot be offered and paid for by the state. I have been a sw for a few years now and I haven't seen a permanency plan for a child from DCFS that did not list reunification as option A unless a child's sibling had died in the care of the parent or the parent had left the state or been incarcerated. that is why birth parents get so many services and are given so many chances. DCFS is not a crisis shelter. in order to make sure that a parent is in a serious enough situation that they are willing to be charged with abandonment (the judge can see that the parent is there with a lawyer explaining their circumstances or that they are in an inpatient asylum) otherwise there's Childhaven and such for parents in crisis. There's not enough state money to do all things for all people.