[blubutterflies03]

what is the normal case plan for birthmom who has a baby born with cocaine in system? Baby is 3 weeks old now. HE is doing well. I have to take the baby next week to get paternity test. The worker says court won't be for a month or two. IF the parents get a year to get their act together don't you think they would try to get mom in rehab?? do birthmoms get in trouble with the law for having babies addicted to crack?? meaning do they go to jail?

[AngelArrow]

It depends what is filed against her and what the judge is ordering her to do. Ask the cw what her case plan is. CW had to file in court for the baby to be taking in our state 72 hours. It depends on prior history of birthmom and so on. If I would had to guess she will probaly be mandated to go to rehab, but that is just me taking a guess.

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

Since the baby is only 3 weeks old it is very early in the case. Typically at the end of the first month in care, there is a team meeting (called a staffing here) where everyone is invited (bioparents and lawyers, caseworker, caseworker supervisor, and foster parents). Even if you don't attend this meeting you will get a copy of the caseplan from that meeting that will list what the bioparents have been ordered to do as well as the foster parent responsibilities to this child. I recommend you go.

Kim

[msgypsylee]

My FS was a cocaine baby. Parents were given opp to go to rehab several times. Outpatient counseling, had to be regularly and spot tested. They never passed a test and never took up rehab or counseling.

After 20 months we are now headed to adoption.

[blubutterflies03]

Originally Posted by msgypsylee

My FS was a cocaine baby. Parents were given opp to go to rehab several times. Outpatient counseling, had to be regularly and spot tested. They never passed a test and never took up rehab or counseling.

After 20 months we are now headed to adoption.

hi, thanks for your reply! I have done fostering (a few years back) to a girl who was taken away because her Mom was on drugs, but never had a case where mom had baby and was on drugs, etc. I have heard thru the grapevine that birthmom has promiscuity, and a druggie. She is young. I hope that if she wants her son back, then she pull it together fast. IF she dosen't do the right thing for herself though, then she can never do it for her son. thanks again~

[blubutterflies03]

Originally Posted by xxsurroundedbyxy

Since the baby is only 3 weeks old it is very early in the case. Typically at the end of the first month in care, there is a team meeting (called a staffing here) where everyone is invited (bioparents and lawyers, caseworker, caseworker supervisor, and foster parents). Even if you don't attend this meeting you will get a copy of the caseplan from that meeting that will list what the bioparents have been ordered to do as well as the foster parent responsibilities to this child. I recommend you go.

Kim

thank, you are refreshing my memory now from when i fostered a few years back. I guess everything has a timeline in fostering. I will definitely participate in everything they invite me to in regards to my foster children. I mean I am their parent right now.

[Kat-L]

Originally Posted by blubutterflies03

what is the normal case plan for birthmom who has a baby born with cocaine in system? Baby is 3 weeks old now. HE is doing well. I have to take the baby next week to get paternity test. The worker says court won't be for a month or two. IF the parents get a year to get their act together don't you think they would try to get mom in rehab?? do birthmoms get in trouble with the law for having babies addicted to crack?? meaning do they go to jail?

I had a newborn who was removed due to crack. Case plan for birthparents included drug testing and they had to pass weekly drug tests for 6 months but rehab was not required. Mom didn't go to jail for doing drugs while pregnant and she had a LONG history with CPS. All of her other children were adopted, with relatives or in foster/adopt homes. Mom didn't even bother to try to get clean and visited sporadically. Dad really tried but it's a VERY hard habit to kick. He'd be clean for two weeks, then fail, then be clean for a week, then fail for two weeks. This went on until TPR of the parents.

[Kelly Rae]

All 4 of my adopted kids were drug/alcohol exposed and removed at birth. All their birth parents were given a reunification plans even when all had numerous children removed before the birth of my children. More then one of my children's bio parents spent time in jail before and after the birth of the children not related to giving birth to drug/alcohol exposed kids. Its a long road for the bio's and us who love and care for these children. The soonest we were able to adopt was 1 yr and the longest is our youngest who is 2 and not finalized yet. It is so hard to not try to figure out how soon till you will know if they get to stay, but there is so many ups, downs, twists, and turns you will be better to try to put it out of your head and enjoy the moment. That isn't easy and so hard. Sending hugs your way .

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

I also wanted to add.... talk to the caseworker about when the staffing is planned (as it should be by now) because in many places they will "forget" to tell or invite you because then things move along quickly (as bios often don't show). Ours have been good to keep us posted and email us with dates and times of meetings but I have spoken to MANY who have never been told or invited to one. You ARE permitted to be there and some caseworkers encourage it while others do not.

Kim

[blubutterflies03]

Originally Posted by Kelly Rae

All 4 of my adopted kids were drug/alcohol exposed and removed at birth. All their birth parents were given a reunification plans even when all had numerous children removed before the birth of my children. More then one of my children's bio parents spent time in jail before and after the birth of the children not related to giving birth to drug/alcohol exposed kids. Its a long road for the bio's and us who love and care for these children. The soonest we were able to adopt was 1 yr and the longest is our youngest who is 2 and not finalized yet. It is so hard to not try to figure out how soon till you will know if they get to stay, but there is so many ups, downs, twists, and turns you will be better to try to put it out of your head and enjoy the moment. That isn't easy and so hard. Sending hugs your way .

thanks, I have been thru fostering before, but only just one daughter that i did end up adopting. I know all about "the ride" that comes with it. I just am not use to knowing how they deal with moms who have children addicted to drugs. I know how my daughter whom I adopted caseplan went. It was definitely interesting and I could of wrote a book about the journey from foster to adoption. I am going into fostering now with the idea of helping out the children, giving them my love. If birthparents don't get it together, I am in it forever. thanks!

[mrskllp]

Originally Posted by blubutterflies03

what is the normal case plan for birthmom who has a baby born with cocaine in system? Baby is 3 weeks old now. HE is doing well. I have to take the baby next week to get paternity test. The worker says court won't be for a month or two. IF the parents get a year to get their act together don't you think they would try to get mom in rehab?? do birthmoms get in trouble with the law for having babies addicted to crack?? meaning do they go to jail?

No they don't get into trouble... at least not where I am from! I am in the adoption process with my foster son and his mom did crack cocaine from the 3rd month of her pregnancy right up until he was taken at 6 weeks and she just relinquished her rights to him about a week ago(he is 19 months now) and she also gave birth to another child about 6 months ago and she did both crack and heroine while pregnant with this child! Her ISP (treatment plan) will have parenting classes and rehab and everything in it drug court, drug testing (the mom in my case had to go 2 times a week), but it does not mean she will do it and it does not mean this case will be easy for your family if she chooses not to do her treatment plan! But I haven't seen any one ever get jail time for harming their unborn child, from what I understand of it is that it is just like with abortion some people think it is murder, but in the eyes of the law it is the womens body and her choice to terminate her pregnancy, it is the same with drug use, it is her body and she can do with it what she chooses, doesn't make it right, but that is the way it is, just like it is not illegal to smoke while pregnant (and the chemicals in cigarettes are sometimes worse than cocaine and things like that) so just don't expect justice for this little one even though this child deserves better and his mother deserves jail time for child endangerment!

[blubutterflies03]

Originally Posted by mrskllp

No they don't get into trouble... at least not where I am from! I am in the adoption process with my foster son and his mom did crack cocaine from the 3rd month of her pregnancy right up until he was taken at 6 weeks and she just relinquished her rights to him about a week ago(he is 19 months now) and she also gave birth to another child about 6 months ago and she did both crack and heroine while pregnant with this child! Her ISP (treatment plan) will have parenting classes and rehab and everything in it drug court, drug testing (the mom in my case had to go 2 times a week), but it does not mean she will do it and it does not mean this case will be easy for your family if she chooses not to do her treatment plan! But I haven't seen any one ever get jail time for harming their unborn child, from what I understand of it is that it is just like with abortion some people think it is murder, but in the eyes of the law it is the womens body and her choice to terminate her pregnancy, it is the same with drug use, it is her body and she can do with it what she chooses, doesn't make it right, but that is the way it is, just like it is not illegal to smoke while pregnant (and the chemicals in cigarettes are sometimes worse than cocaine and things like that) so just don't expect justice for this little one even though this child deserves better and his mother deserves jail time for child endangerment!

thanks...it must be ALOT harder for people to give up drugs if they were busy doing them when they were pregnant...as to opposed not. I don't know. I want the best for this baby. Does anyone have any stories about getting a baby born to drug exposure and being with their parent after successful rehab? I am curious what the stats are on cases like this. IT seems a shame that innocent children have to come into the world this way. anyways, i am going to pray for the best for my son.