ICPC and Interstate Kinship Placement? Need help figuring this out....

The ICPC (Interstate Compact) is basically a home study that is done between states. The state where dad lives would do the homestudy and then it transfers to your state. My experience is that it can take months depending on how quickly he provides the information they need. It's really tough being in limbo like that - I hope the best for you and your FD.

Correct on the ICPC information. The process is actually a double loop--Sending local agency sends request to sending state ICPC office. That office checks it, approves it, sends it on to the receiving state office which checks it, approves it, sends it to the receiving local office. Receiving local office does homestudy, etc., approves paperwork, sends it back through the chain. All by mail or ICPC admin office packet, no electronic transfers. Depending on how motivated/backlogged each step is, it can go quickly or slowly. Once the father establishes legal paternity, however, the ICPC will probably be a moot point. The mother will either lose custody (most likely, since it is the easiest and least costly route for the state) or her rights will be terminated. Then, as a legal non-offending parent, there is no need for an ICPC because the child won't be "placed" with him, the child will be returned/reunified with him. Think of it this way: Parents divorce, non-custodial dad moves out of state. Mother dies. Child goes into foster care while search for father is on. No ICPC needed for child to go to found dad. This situation is pretty much the same thing. The wrongfulness here, of course, is social services' casual attitude toward fathers. OF COURSE there is a father SOMEWHERE. The child did not spring forth miraculously. Social services clearly violated its legal charter and duty to the child by not looking for him a little harder. I can't speculate on why the father was not involved sooner but there could be many, many valid reasons. It sounds as if this child was lost to him and now she is found. He and his family will need a lot of support and information about the issues and challenges she has so that they can help her root and thrive. It will be hard for you, I can tell from your post. I am sorry for your pain. No matter what happens, there will be joy and pain for the little girl, too. I hope the best for this little girl in the long run and that she truly is able to stay or go "home" in the way that is best for her.

ICPC = Interstate compact on the placement to children. They have a website: [url=http://icpc.aphsa.org/Home/home_news.asp]AAICPC | an :: APHSA :: Affiliate[/url] Ours took 10 months to complete. But we had to become licensed foster parents first in order for placement of our bioniece (who is now our daughter). The ICPC is a procedure to make sure each states laws are covered. The paperwork is sent thru each states capital (sending state is the state the child comes from and the receiving state is the state receiving the child) and onto the new state. It is a very frustrating procedure because if something is missing or not complete it can hold it up! Hopefully they can setup a visit for him so he can get to know her. I think it's great he's stepping up to raise his daughter he knew nothing about. Embrace him and hopefully you can be in her life if she moves away...like an Aunt. The more love she gets the better!

Interesting! I never thought of that angle. But without court approval most divorces don't allow the parent to move a child out of state. But like you said if they TPR the Mom maybe that would release all that. I'd like to hear how this all turns out!

Thanks for the correction Hadley2 - I didn't even think about the fact that BD wouldn't be treated like other kin. He may not know the child, but he is dad!

thank you all for the information. we're praying that if dad comes through on this, that he'll let us be involved and send updates, etc. he seems like a caring father who had no idea that his daughter was not being well cared for. the family choked up every time the judge said "foster care." and then there's the fact that they flew all the way here from california as soon as they found out, which certainly shows concern and initiative. i know that she'll be well loved, and it's very obvious that he's her father, i don't think anyone would doubt that. my husband and i are coming to terms with the fact that she could be gone soon, but i just wish i knew how much time we had with her. this all came up so randomly, we just assumed that he wasn't interested or didn't care. *sigh*... i could go on and vent my feelings here, but i don't think there's enough space in a post! thank you again for all of the clarifications.

It sounds as if it will be hard but that are you preparing yourself for this. Another point--it actually doesn't matter whether dad is "interested" or not. As the child's legal parent, he cannot refuse her without being charged with abandonment. She is his legal responsibility. The state may and ought to charge him for support for the time she has been in care (unless he can show he was already paying child support).

they have him paying $10/mo in support now that he's in the picture, and he agreed to that. if he changes his mind, can't he just surrender her to the state and then she'll be adoptable?