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One of the stupidest rules that DCS has, that almost every state has, is "NO HAIRCUTS WITHOUT BIO PARENT PERMISSION!!!"
If it is already done, the state will usually wait and see if the parents squawk. No squawk, the state won't say anything. But if there is a squawk, you're in trouble. All the parents have to do is say the hair was long (or uncut) because of cultural reasons, religious beliefs, ethnic preferences, etc, and the agency will back them, not you.
Yes, it's stupid. Yes, it's easier for the child in foster care to have surgery or change schools or move out of state than it is for the child to have a haircut.
The fact of it is she isn't legally your child. You cannot make this decision for her. You don't want to deal with long hair, but you probably didn't want to deal with bad behavior, malnutrition, infant drug addiction, or any of the other things that foster children come with. You can request no long hair in the future if it's a big deal. But at the moment you're stuck with it unless your social worker says otherwise. It's one of the stupidest rules on the planet, but it does indeed exist in most states. *Especially* when what you want to do is change the length and style, not just give it a quarter-inch trim.
Now, there are tons of things you can do that will make caring for long hair easier. Using extra conditioner (like a quarter of a cup, none of this dime-sized bull the bottle will tell you), using leave-in conditioner, putting the hair in a braid before she sleeps, keeping it braided until it's time to style it and there's a reason to leave it down afterward, washing it only once a week, etc. Post it as a separate question if you want more hints or don't understand why these would help.
Good luck!
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