[TAC]

Our 15 mos. ISP meeting is this week...unlike previous times where suddenly a bio-parent appears two weeks before court and/or ISP meetings, no visits have happened for over a month with one parent and over 3 with the other and no contact with their worker is believed to have occurred either. We have two sibs 16 mos. and 5 year old girls. As a side, there are now strong questions and concerns that some sort of sexual abuse occurred to the 5 year old whose anger rages when these visits are cancelled.

Adoption has been brought up as the sole or the concurrent goal at before both the 6 mos. and 12 mos. hearings. It is around these times dad shows and puts on a dance for court with papers and excuses that go on and on...(Mom keeps missing court for a period of incarcaration-at which DHS could not find her-and in the second case hospitalization for a staff infection...

Can someone better define what is meant of the 15 out of 22 months a child has been in care as a consideration for TPR(does the child/children need to be in care 15 or 22 mos.)..I know the judge is the end all/be all-and they may adjust the timetable to what they see as "fitting". We have a bio-friendly judge-but when does the game bios play on the system become unjust...how long-as an estimate- can we expect a bio-friendly judge to give two parents without housing and questionable employment time to run around this clock?

Thanks

Pat

[mommyto9]

That is truly the question of the day!! And if anyone ever really knows the answer to this one, PLEASE let us know. I have had a fs for 32 months and we are still waiting on TPR. His bd has been awol for almost 1 year, and mom is in jail. HIs brother has been with us for 19 months (since birth) and there's not even been TPR mentioned, since mom is in jail awaiting trial, and not actually criminally convicted yet. None of it makes any sense to me.

[AmahMama]

Unfortunately there is no rhyme or reason as to what may happen before TPR does. Every state has different rules and guidelines. In some states time does not start if Bio has a "short term" jail stay coming up. Bio can work a caseplan during jail time. I also have been told that the "bio friendly" judges are this "way" because they don't want their decisions overturned or a Bio to pursue a messy, public lawsuit against them, so they give them every opportunity to "straighten up" before TPR happens.

I've know of a case where TPR didn't happen until over 3 yrs from the removal. Also involved younger siblings that were removed at birth and placed in the same foster home. The youngest sibling was over 2 yrs old before the TPR happened and they were moved on to adoptions!!

We, as a society are rapidly making an entire part of our next generation a "lost piece of society" by making more and more laws taht protect the bio's "rights". We need to unite and work towards getting laws enacted that will reflect a childs right to a safe and loving home. A FOREVER FAMILY.

I know that there are literally thousands of wonderful people out there that are opening thier homes and hearts to these poor lost children. And I hope these people are blessed with the knowledge that they are totally awesome.

I wonder every time I see a segment on one of the "Judge" shows and everyone is fighting over who "fathered" a child. We know that the child is not our bio - but do we love them any less???

Off of the question - I know - but off the mark???
Off of my soapbox!!

[misuspotts]

Oh my goodness - our three have been in foster care almost three YEARS! (They have never returned to birthparents at any point.) But because their legal (not bio) father is "a nice guy" and has been consistent with visits the judge won't terminate. There is another hearing on Oct 11. We're praying that the workers can convince the judge this time...

[foster_bub]

The bio-mom of our fs was just granted a 6 month extension by our magistrate here in FL. It was appalling, I just sat there and shook my head. The bio-mom just had ANOTHER baby which now totals 7, all in foster care. Oh and the latest baby tested positive for cocaine.. joy joy.. yet they see the bio mom as making some progress..(unbelieveable)

New legislature was passed (not sure if it's federal or state) that no one has been using here in FL yet, that is much tougher on how long a child can remain in care. If the child was in care prior to the new legislature they would be grandfathered in using the old time frames.. incomprehensible!

Our local judges and magistrates are way to lenient. It's pathetic and sad.

[MomwithFive]

Originally Posted by foster_bub

The bio-mom of our fs was just granted a 6 month extension by our magistrate here in FL. It was appalling, I just sat there and shook my head. The bio-mom just had ANOTHER baby which now totals 7, all in foster care. Oh and the latest baby tested positive for cocaine.. joy joy.. yet they see the bio mom as making some progress..(unbelieveable)

New legislature was passed (not sure if it's federal or state) that no one has been using here in FL yet, that is much tougher on how long a child can remain in care. If the child was in care prior to the new legislature they would be grandfathered in using the old time frames.. incomprehensible!

Our local judges and magistrates are way to lenient. It's pathetic and sad.

How do they see her as making progress when she came up positive for this last baby? *sigh Those poor kids.

[foster_bub]

I'll tell you how.. she uses the system to her advantage. She got pregnant AGAIN with #7 which makes 'things' more complicated. Says she finished parenting classes, drug classes etc yet doesn't have the documentation. Says she gave the former case worker (who's no longer around) all the certifications. Now we all know that any level-headed person would have made copies to expedite getting their children back. HA! not in her case.

Oh and since FL is all privatized now, the last case worker (unlicensed) failed to document the drug use, and created fradulent reports such as visitation etc etc..

So it's a combination of a case worker who didn't know what she was doing and a mother who's been in the system so long she can play everyone like a fiddle!

It's awful..

[AmahMama]

You are so right. FL 's system is truly awful. I THINK the reason for privatizing was to prevent all the "stuff" that is now happening. 7th child - sounds like a family I've had before. Only we were on the 9th child and reunification did happen!! Talk about brain dead!!!!

[locoenlacabeza]

I think we could all go on and on about how the system fails these kids over and over again.
I think the thing that gets me is that they are supposed to be CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, yet most times they just continually retraumatize these kids over and over again.
i will jsut never understand how or why they can call themselves CPS- it baffles the mind!!!
I think what is equally as frustrating is that we as foster parents can ONLY do so much. At a certain point, our hands do get tied and then what? THen who advocates for these kids? The Guardian at Litem's that don't come around? The CASA workers that make false statements about visiting with the kids? Yeah, those are great advocates for kids!!!

[swanzie]

I believe the these are federal guidelines...and can vary from state to state according to the state rules. It means in foster care for 15 of the last 22 months. The child could go and out of foster care at different times - but once it hits 15 months in care out of the last 22 calendar months - they can move for TPR on that basis.
In our state the judge referred to a rule of a 1 year time line...so I really don't know..he even scheduled the trial at the 6 months mark just in case..and told the ** that if she didn't have significant improvement on her case plan in the next 3 months that they were going to trial. We had the trial at the 11th month marker - she signed off - before judge ruled and is now appealing her signing off - go figure - but it puts our adoption out at least 6 months.

[mommyto9]

There are federal guidelines, but where I'm from it doesn't mean anything!!!! They (cw's) by law file the TPR but just wait a day or two and recind the order. Giving bp's more time. I have two very long term cases! One going on three years and one going on 2 1/2 years. The 3 yr case I see no end in sight and the 2 1/2 yr case the boys are suppose to be going home the end of this month. We'll see.........

[foster_bub]

3 yrs and 2.5 yrs? That's awful.. It's beyond me how they can let these kids stay in care for so long then think it's ok to give them back to the bios! You wonder why some of these poor kids have the attachment problems they have. How can it be in the childs best interest after so much time go back to the bios? Incomprehensible!

[TAC]

What happened to happily ever after? What a mess this system can be...how are the federal guidelines just ignored...the 2+ years-with little or no progress from bio(s)- is ridiculous..The injustice to these children...let alone our frustration, anger and heartache...

As it turns out our ISP was cancelled b/c the bios weren't properly notified...I think b/c no activity has happened cw forgot to mail them to the addresses she has which I"m pretty certain are no longer...

Questions: Could her changing the date of this meeting potentially affect the trial for TPR if it comes to this? Is there anything I should be doing to safeguard this from happening (ie. contact CASA)?

Thanks,

Pat