[Rocking Mama]

I had a fs for 7 mos. The SW assigned to his case butted heads with me constantly. I finally gave my 10-day notice to have this child removed from our foster home simply because I could not get along with his worker. The child was promptly returned to his birthmom.

Since then (8 mos now), "T" has continued to be a regular part of our lives. His birthmom and I always have gotten along well. She calls me regularly and she has let "T" spend the day with us frequently. She invited us to his 1st b-day party and even has let him spend weekends with us.

My question is this: If this child ever re-entered foster care and the birthmom asked specifically for him to be placed with us, would DHS honor her request, since I had previously given notice to have him removed? He has a catastrophic illness which makes him really hard to find a home for. Has anyone ever presented with this scenario before? What would a SW think of all this? RM

[Dr. Art]

A lot will depend on the regulations in your state and who is the caseworker. However, if the birth mother makes a voluntary placement, and you are licensed foster home, then you can make that sort of arrangement either formally or informally. If the child is removed involuntarily, then you would not necessarily be considered, unless the child's caseworker knew of your interest. If the family still has an active case, you might want to discuss your interest with the family's caseworker.