[Sleeplvr]

What type of assistance does the state normally provide for relative placements? Do they provide childcare assistance or WIC? This is not regarding a relative foster placement. So far in my county I have noticed they only allow relative foster placements when there are sibling groups. Sibling groups are hard to place so if they could find a relative that wants them but needs financial assistance it looks like they allow it. Relative foster placements get the monthly per diem. Would they allow a relative foster placement for a single infant?

I know that with my first foster child the state authorized 6 months of daycare assistance when he was placed with his father. I'm wondering if the state would extend the same courtesy to another besides the mother or father.

[momofmykids]

In TN, they typically start looking for relatives when a child comes into care. If a relative is willing to take that child, they have to go through PATH training, homestudy, and background check in order to have the child placed with them. Once they are approved, they get the same board payment and other "perks" (i.e. WIC, Medicaid, free meals at school, etc.) that foster parents do.

We tell our PATH participants that the goal of foster care is ALWAYS reunification with bps or placement with a relative. Of course, we know that doesn't always happen nor should it happen in lots of cases (some shouldn't even have the opportunity to try).

Hope this answers your question.

[mommyj]

We are a relative placement with a single 13 month old. In our state (CA) we receive a monthly per diem, medicaid, WIC and subsidized daycare since we both work. SW did not provide us with the fact that we are eligible for WIC nor daycare; we found out by researching on the internet. The daycare really helps since it is more than the monthly per diem.

[healingmachine]

hi there...we are a relative placement with custody (but the parental rights have not been terminated) and we're in ohio.

we get medicaid, WIC, a check from the state and that's about it. we don't qualify for daycare assistance, so the state money goes towards that.

also we don't have a sib group, just one infant...and we had a homestudy but didn't have to go through foster classes or anything. we were willing, but it wasn't necessary because it was a relative placement.

hope this helps and good luck!

[Sleeplvr]

Thanks all!

I feel like I'm living in a soap opera. I'm a foster to adopt parent and dealing with a case that has gone from adoption to abandonment to reunification to non-reunification now a relative placement is looming.

The mom was trying to place her baby #5 for adoption through the foster care system. We were selected and picked him up from the hospital back in April. The mom hid her pregnancy from the family so they couldn't interfere. She had to tell one person so she could get help with the other kids while she was in the hospital. Unfortunately this person blabbed to a particular relative and the drama and pressure has followed. This relative was given baby #4 at birth and kept her for a little while and then turned around and gave her back to the mom. The mom was not happy but was embarassed into keeping the baby. She was trying to avoid that scenerio this time.

This relative (paternal aunt) is really pressuring her to parent or give the baby to her (to keep until she gets her act together). The mom doesn't want to get the baby back. She does not want to parent another child. The aunt even went so far as to pick her up yesterday to make her have a visit. The mom no-showed at the previous visit. Mom scheduled previous visit under pressure from Aunt. Aunt showed up at visit. Note that the baby is 5 months old and has not been named and the mom had only seen him once before yesterday and that was last month at court. She only showed up at court bowing to pressure.

The mom is young and can't handle that many kids and knows it but just can't seem to stop getting pregnant. The CW supervising the visit said it looks like she might be pregnant with baby #6. The last 3 babies are 12 months apart. So #6 would probably arrive when the baby we have turns 12 months.

The baby we have will definitely be going to adoption but it will be a choice between us & the paternal aunt. I spoke with the Aunt and she doesn't get this will be permanent placement and the subsidies and assistance will stop because it should all be done before the baby is a year old. She's thinking she will foster him. I get the impression that she will keep him a few months and then give him back too. It is clear that the mom has no intention of working the caseplan she signed last month. She has gone so far as to move out of the county. Her lack of committment to working the caseplan is pretty obvious because she has still not made any attempts to name this child and the two visits have been forced.

If the mom would sign the relinquishment papers all the drama would end. The mom won't sign because it would look like she gave her baby away. The Aunt is demanding visits that the mom is totally not interested in. The strong arm tactics that the Aunt is pulling is really worrying me. DFCS is trying to figure out what they can do legally to get a handle on this situation. They are still going for TPR on the mom so if there is Relative placement it will be a straight adoption. This is not what the Aunt wants.

[leaabc123]

Is there a law guardian on the case. Someone needs to get the aunt on record that she is not interested in adopting this child.

[Sleeplvr]

There is a guardian ad litem assigned to the case. I've never seen or heard from him/her. There is a CASA assigned too. The CASA hasn't been really helpful because the last time I spoke with her she said she hasn't done anything on the case because she has been depressed. Oh Well...you can't fire a volunteer.

The Child's caseworker is getting tired of all the drama and made a decision today to restructure the visitation.

There will be one hour visits only at the Mom's request. No more Saturday visits. Auntie cannot schedule visits and then force mom to go anymore. She can still do it behind the scenes but the CW knows when she is doing it. Mom will get 45 minutes of the hour alone with the baby and any other relatives will get 15 minutes. After all the mom did sign a caseplan last month so they should be working with her not Auntie. All visits will be at the DFCS office.

I am getting so tired of all this. The only bright spot I have right now that we should be finalizing on our little girl (private adoption) in the next few months. This foster to adopt stuff is wearing me out.