[lmnop2]

Previously, if birth parents tested positive for drugs, visits were suspended until clean drug screens again. We just received word from one county that we work with that this will no longer be the case. Even if they test positive for drugs, supervised visits will still be allowed. What's typical in your area?

[dachshunds4you]

Hmm, they've never done that here. Parents have visits whether they've tested positive or not.
Now, they can't be high or drunk at the visits themselves...the worker should stop a visit in this situation (but it's been known to happen too many times).

[aedems]

I have been told the same thing. If they test positive or are under the influence at the time of a SUPERVISED visit, they are still allowed to have the visit UNLESS they become a danger to the child. My SW has had an under the influence mom falling asleep with her baby and the visit was ended early AND a father under the influence of alcohol who had to be told he was being too over the top with the child and needed to settle down or the visit would be canceled. They still have rights unless they are a danger. And for the record, I don't agree with it, but that is why I'm not in charge

[Nevada Jen]

A positive tox screen would not be a reason to stop visits here. If they showed up drunk or high the visit would be cancelled but they can do all the drugs they want on their own time and still have visits. It does not make much sense to me considering they are unlikely to get the kids back if they cannot pass drug tests consistently. But that is the way it is.

[CaddoRose]

They usually get sent for the drug screen after visitation, so it doesn't mean they won't get visits, but if a parent were to show up and obviously look or act like they were on drugs/alcohol, the CW would not allow them to visit. The positive result is noted in their file and is just one more item against them for RU.

[Maura_H]

Here if they test postitive the visit is cancelled. The U/A must be clean for a visit to happen.

[greenrobin]

I'm in TX. We have never had the option of cancelling visits due to failed UA. Our kids' mom has shown up high (the night she was on her way to rehab) and the visit went on. When I asked about getting a clean UA before visits could happen, they told me that the parents had a constitutional right to visit regardless of their choices.

Besides that, their mom just wouldn't pee in the cup. And she has a right to refuse.

Our workers were very careful about not stepping on any rights. It made the TPR trial stick that much better.

One word, though--the worker should have ended the visits when mom showed high or drunk. Then it becomes a safety issue for the children. Given a second chance, I'd be pretty vocal about that.

[myForeverkids3]

Originally Posted by CaddoRose

They usually get sent for the drug screen after visitation, so it doesn't mean they won't get visits, but if a parent were to show up and obviously look or act like they were on drugs/alcohol, the CW would not allow them to visit. The positive result is noted in their file and is just one more item against them for RU.

That has been our experience too. Here in Louisiana and in IL.

[Sooner]

We are in OK & they stopped visits until they got a negative UA for our AS but that has been over a year & a half since they had visits so I guess it could have changed. The birthmom of our current FD hasn't tried to get a visit since she was 5 days old, which was 2 months ago. She did find the time to apply for food stamp though. Gotta have your priorities right?

[naca]

Im in IN and we do not normally stop visits based on the results of a drug screen. I have only had one case that did but it was b/c Bdad had just got out of jail & showed up to Chins court drunk. The judge made it a court order that he was not allowed do drugs or alcohol at all. The next drug screen came back ++ so visits were stopped b/c it was violation of the judge's order.

[irelady10]

I wonder if there was a policy in place that mandated that parents could not visit unless they were drug free would be a great motivator for them to get treatment for their addiction...

[mellaf]

How about a visit where the bio is sober, goes out to the car and comes back high?

Yeah, it happened here. Did the visit end?


Nope.

[Mummy_Big_Bird]

I'm in MA. We used to have the rule that a positive test meant no visits. When the contract was up with the company the state used for testing, the state decided to save money and dropped the program.

The programs the parents are in are supposed to report to DCF if they are testing positive, but they never do.

With my AD's case, the day program the bio mom was getting treatment at waited until the bio mom was about to go to in-treatment before they casually meantioned to the SW that there had been several positive tests. Yet she had visits all along. The first visit after AD came back to me, Bio showed up so high that she couldn't keep her eyes open. Instead of not allowing her to see my AD, they gave her 15 minutes with her, while they looked for a supervisor to sign off for a cancelled visit. My AD was 6 months old at the time, and her bio held her for the whole 15 minutes, in that state. I was so mad when I head what had happened. It would have been too easy for her to have dropped my AD!

My AD has also came home smelling like pot after every visit she has ever had, but the workers never picked up on it.