[blubutterflies03]

Case in a nutshell: Baby B and his brother placed in care because Baby B was born with cocaine and heroine in his system. Baby B came to live with us at 1 week old out the hospital. Brother went to Paternal Grandma's. Brother went to 2 other foster homes after Paternal Grandma's (she couldn't handle him) and he is now in the rehab facility with the Mom because the last foster home said he had "behavior problems". We were willing at that time to take in the brother but the judge let the Mom have a "trial period" with the brother in the rehab since 2 of the foster homes and the Grandma did not work out. Mom has been in rehab for 4 mths now. She will be getting out of rehab in 6-8 weeks. She has not obtained her GED yet, found a job yet, she is working on getting section 8 housing and has remained drug free since in rehab. The children are from 2 different fathers. The brothers father is in a halfway house right now and the baby's father has not come officially forward yet.

The biggy is she gets out around the end of November from the facility and the judge already said she CANNOT leave the facility with the brother unless it is a dr. apt or a visit to OCS. Court is not until the first week of December. Do you think they will let her leave the facility w/ the brother, or put him in a foster home til the court hearing?? Also, do you think 2 weeks after she moves out of rehab they would let her have BOTH of her kids back??

[Mom2blessings]

Originally Posted by blubutterflies03

Case in a nutshell: Baby B and his brother placed in care because Baby B was born with cocaine and heroine in his system. Baby B came to live with us at 1 week old out the hospital. Brother went to Paternal Grandma's. Brother went to 2 other foster homes after Paternal Grandma's (she couldn't handle him) and he is now in the rehab facility with the Mom because the last foster home said he had "behavior problems". We were willing at that time to take in the brother but the judge let the Mom have a "trial period" with the brother in the rehab since 2 of the foster homes and the Grandma did not work out. Mom has been in rehab for 4 mths now. She will be getting out of rehab in 6-8 weeks. She has not obtained her GED yet, found a job yet, she is working on getting section 8 housing and has remained drug free since in rehab. The children are from 2 different fathers. The brothers father is in a halfway house right now and the baby's father has not come officially forward yet.

The biggy is she gets out around the end of November from the facility and the judge already said she CANNOT leave the facility with the brother unless it is a dr. apt or a visit to OCS. Court is not until the first week of December. Do you think they will let her leave the facility w/ the brother, or put him in a foster home til the court hearing?? Also, do you think 2 weeks after she moves out of rehab they would let her have BOTH of her kids back??

I've never heard of placing children in a rehab with a parent but I'd think that would be a great way to truly help rehab a mom.

However, it'd be my guess (and truly that's what this is) they would put the child back in foster care and they would NOT let the her have the children back that quickly after rehab. I think they'd be crazy if the did.

My children's mom started testing positive for drugs again just a few months after finishing rehab...and she was only 1 to 2 months from getting her kids back.

I'd think that she would need to stay clean outside of rehab for a certain amount of time...afterall, you can't live in rehab forever. Of course, I'm only guessing based on my experience here in GA and from reading these boards. I've come to realize that every state/county/caseworker/judge is different, so it's very hard to predict what will happen.

[chevyjewel]

First of all heroin is a toughie to kick. Secondly though, that's an awful long stint in rehab! I've never had a bio-parent be in a program longer than 6 weeks before graduating and moving on to a sober living house or flat back out on their own. I think that'll likely work in her favor if she's been there and clean for four months AND still has up to two additional months of support available to her there. As to your questions:

Do you think they will let her leave the facility w/ the brother, or put him in a foster home til the court hearing??

I'd guess whether or not that happens will be determined by if she has stable housing, income, and keeps her record of clean drug tests, continually clean. If she doesn't he'll likely enter care and you'll be asked to provide it, if she does then it might be allowed.

Also, do you think 2 weeks after she moves out of rehab they would let her have BOTH of her kids back??

There too I think that would depend on if she's able to get herself cleaned up and her life in order. If she can't show the kids have a safe place to live, income to provide for their needs and a record of sobriety then I highly highly doubt either child will be allowed to be with her at that time. 6-8 weeks is a long time and a lot could happen between now and then either way. It's plenty of time to get everything in order with all the assistance she's likely receiving, and plenty of time to "fail" in her attempt to get clean if that's the road she's going to take. Things could certainly go both ways but four months clean is a really good step in the right direction.

[AngelArrow]

It will be up to the judge, but brother can not leave with her one because, she has no where to go after the rehab is completed. So the logical would be to set her up with after care services such as transitional housing for women and they will help her with jobs training, and so forth, and even sometimes when you have all the services set up for someone the person may not take the advandage of the service or take to much advandage of. I seen both!! I disagree that 6-8 weeks is enought to get someones life back on track when it takes 2 years to get on section 8 housing and so forth. Bottem line is it will all be up to the judge and of course herself.

[chevyjewel]

Originally Posted by AngelArrow

It will be up to the judge, but brother can not leave with her one because, she has no where to go after the rehab is completed. So the logical would be to set her up with after care services such as transitional housing for women and they will help her with jobs training, and so forth, and even sometimes when you have all the services set up for someone the person may not take the advandage of the service or take to much advandage of. I seen both!! I disagree that 6-8 weeks is enought to get someones life back on track when it takes 2 years to get on section 8 housing and so forth. Bottem line is it will all be up to the judge and of course herself.

I'm curious why you think it would take that long? Obtaining section 8 housing doesn't take nearly that long where I'm from. It has everything to do with the demand for it in a particular area and how many people are on the list waiting. Are you from the same state/city as the OP? Maybe that's why you're suggesting it has to take two years to get because you know the stats for her area. I dunno either way, just wanted to point out it absolutely doesn't take that long to get it elsewhere. Takes even less time to be accepted into a family friendly halfway house, which would be another likely acceptable alternative.

And I didn't say 6-8 weeks is long enough to get someone's life back on track. What I said was the four months this woman has already been in treatment, receiving services and assistance PLUS the 6-8 week time period this woman has left may be enough to convince a judge to give the kids back if she keeps up her sobriety. Here anyway that would be plenty of time to secure housing as well. As far as most judges are concerned that would be a good jump on getting a persons life back on track and kids back.

Any case could go either way though. The same exact scenario happening elsewhere could have a completely different outcome than this one might have. There's never a way to be completely sure unfortunately.

[millie58]

I'm in NY and regardless of what the birth parent(s) story is, I was told by a cw that if you get a child, plan on keeping him/her at least a year as the birth parent(s) will have to take parenting classes.

That being said: 2 weeks is NOT a long time to get yourself together to raise kids.

[AngelArrow]

Iam in Az it does take along time to get services it also depends on the area you in and the area's resource availability some have more resources than other states, but it also depends on the person itself. I agree with you millie it not enought time to get it together to raise children.

[AngelArrow]

Iam in Az it does take along time to get services it also depends on the area you in and the area's resource availability some have more resources than other states, but it also depends on the person itself. I agree with you millie it not enought time to get it together to raise children.

[chevyjewel]

Originally Posted by millie58

I'm in NY and regardless of what the birth parent(s) story is, I was told by a cw that if you get a child, plan on keeping him/her at least a year as the birth parent(s) will have to take parenting classes.

That being said: 2 weeks is NOT a long time to get yourself together to raise kids.

Who said anything about two weeks? The OP mentioned mom having nearly two MONTHS left to work on her plan though. The children have already been in care for *four* months already and Mom has been in treatment the entire time and has been clean. So in total 6 months time will have lapsed before a judge evaluates her progress. For most judges 6 months time is plenty to decide one way or another if mom has done enough to get her kids back.

Here in MN, there has to be a permenancy hearing at 6 months. It's the law. It's usually decided then whether the agency will go for TPR or not based on progress. Occasionally the parents will be able to get an extension for an additional 6 months but by a years time the kids are back with their parents or concurrent planning is well under way. Rarely do cases go longer than that.

Parenting classes here can be completed in a matter of weeks. There's not much too them really

[blubutterflies03]

Homeless people can top priority for section 8 housing here, and our bio-mom is considered that. I still don't know if she will be able to obtain her section 8 by the end of November though...but I do know she is working on it. Around here I do not know what the timeframe would be for her to obtain it.

[blubutterflies03]

When the kids went into care, it took the birthmom 3 months of playing around and still using before she detoxed and I think she was "ordered" to go to rehab to get her kids back. She has not been rehabbing since she had her kids taken away. She has admitted to CASA that she has a serious drug problem recently, although she has stayed clean while she has been in rehab the last 4 months. My biggest concern is, she is 23 and will probably be trying to do this alone with 2 kids, and has never been on her own two feet. She was a foster child herself and has limited family to rely on. If she is ready to do this, GREAT, I hope she does it all the way. I just hope that the judge knows best when the time comes and if the birthmom is going to do this she does it whole-heartingly.

[chevyjewel]

I'm sorry I misunderstood you blubutterflies about how long mom's been clean. I was going off what you wrote in the first post and must have gotten confused.

Originally Posted by blubutterflies03

snip....Mom has been in rehab for 4 mths now....snip.... and has remained drug free since in rehab.

[blubutterflies03]

This was just a post to see what people are thinking is going to happen....who knows with the judge being the one who makes the final call. I tell you the last time I went to court for this case it all changed so fast it made my head spin. I was so overloaded with information that I had a headache when I left the courthouse. Some judges are harder than others....and unfortunately some don't do their homework on the cases I believe. I am not judge bashing, just observing what I have seen in the past. There could be nothing worse than the lives of children put into the decision of less than an hour in court. We have to believe a higher power is with us and these children at that moment.

[chevyjewel]

I couldn't agree with you more on what you wrote above. All of it.

I wish you and the kiddos the best of luck. We too believe that higher power absolutely has something to do with it all