|
What I was told about this situation was this...the bio parents (by ASFA law) must be allowed the one year period to get her act together for EACH child. I know it's crazy but that is what they told me.
After my son was placed with me at two weeks old...I found out he had a 1 year old half sister in foster care as well. She just turned two a month ago. Her TPR date was set for May. They had thought that they could put the two kids on the same date but decided they could not because bio mom deserved the year time period to get her act together for my son. EVEN though she had not done so for the year and a half that her daughter was in care. AND was not following the plan.
Which I just do not get! So they didn't want to hold up his sisters chance at an adoptive home to wait for my son's trial so they were to have two seperate TPR dates.
THEN bio mom did some things that made DYFS aware that she had not been following the plan at all --all along. She messed up big time and then left town. The lawyers decided it wasn't fair to my son and put the two kids on the same case. The judge agreed and so now they are both scheduled for TPR in May on the same hearing.
So it ended up working out in the end. But their reasoning was that bio parents must be given the 1 year to 15 month time period for each kid. I think it's silly if the previous child has been in care for two years and bmom couldn't do the plan for her in those two years...why do they think she will be able to do it for the newborn? I don't know. The system can be wierd but they have to follow the law.
|