[WorkingOnAFullHouse]

We have a FD that is 5 years old, her mother is working hard at getting her back and they will go back to court in Feb. and we will see what happens then.

We also have a FS that is 5 months old. He came from a family of 6 other kids. When I took him into our house the CW told me she wasnt sure why he was taken away, just that the family has history with social services. Well, last night I found out the baby may go back with the mom on Sept. 7th because they cant find anything wrong. But they are not looking at the big picture. She has 6 other kids that she has NO contact with and doesnt want contact. She only wants the baby. Her other kids were living with the grandmother that would beat them, lock them in rooms days at a time. I am afraid once the novelty of a new baby is over he will be tossed to the side like the rest of them. The guardian ad litem came out last night and is very upset with the whole situation and she said she is going to fight to keep the baby in care for awhile...is it possible the judge is going to look at the whole picture and do whats right or because they cant find anything wrong the baby will go back and everyone just hope for the best? How much pull does the GAL have in cases like this? She told me this isnt the first time the family has been in social services and that they messed up the first time sending them back to a family member.

[twinflana]

It really does depend on the judge whether he wants to put more weight to what the GAL is saying or what DCF is saying. I know many times it doesnt matter that other children have been taken they only look at the here and now. Do you know if the judge favors the children or the parents in the cases?

[WorkingOnAFullHouse]

I have no idea who the judge favors. I dont think they have even been to court yet this time. The GAL said she is going to push for a treatment plan. Right now the kids are spread all over the county. 2 boys in a home, 3 girls in a home, oldest child in a home and we have the baby. Im just not understanding...is it possible the judge will give the mom the baby and keep the other kids in foster care? How devestating will that be for the other children! But..DSS is bending over backwards for this mom, I received a call yesterday saying that normally they do visits every other week but the mom REALLY wants to see him this week (he just saw her last Thursday) and she set up an appointment for him to see her again this Thursday. Yet she doesnt want to see her other 6 kids and havent even asked for them. So sad.

[twinflana]

I asked my cw today if a bio mom had other children taken and lost custody of them does it matter in this case and she told me that the mom is still given 12 months to get her act together. I am afraid we are in the same situation, mom does okay when they are babies but cant deal with them as they get older.

This bio mom is also given weekly visits since it is a newborn, and now she is getting another visit every other week on the weekends because the newborn and the 4 year old do not get to visit with her at the same time (conflict with the 4 year old's school schedule) So she gets a visit every tuesday with the newborn at the visiting center and then will get to see him every other saturday with his brother at the brother's foster home.