TPR HEARINGS. What will they ask?

When Bubba and Sissy's parents went to trial for TPR I had to testify. It wasn't just a few questions, it was a good 30 or 40 minutes on the stand answering whatever the ADA asked. She wanted to know the condition of the kids when they arrived, their weight then and now, where they went to daycare and pre-k, what kinds of stuff they liked to do, the behaviors that we'd seen in the beginning, the behviors now, the behaviors after the visits, their attachment to our family and to theirs, the medical stuff that had been done, the psych stuff that had been done, the state of Bubba's original injury and surgical follow up, and if we wanted to keep them, and how long we'd been fostering and how many bio kids we have. She asked about Bubba's statement about his injury. That was a tough one--mom was sitting right there crying through my testimony. The judge asked if the family had harrassed us in any way. He asked me if I was comfortable with the way things had been going. That was it. Mostly he listened. The kids' attorney asked me a couple of questions about a picture he'd taken of them one time. Dad's attorney was not present--he'd gotten him to sign irrevocable relimquishment. Mom's attorney was peeved with her for showing up 5+ hours late (and high) and didn't ask a single question. I hear those folks can be the devil when they want to. That's what they're getting paid to do. And then it was over. I was the last witness of the day. The judge ordered TPR and then laid into the mom from the bench for her failure to do the minimum to get her kids back. He called me the real mom. Pointed at me and everything. He is, however, rather opinionated and quite vocal, so I don't think that's the norm. And that's what I know. This was our first placement that went to TPR. I suspect there are probably lots of different stories out there. Just review your notes and emails, make sure you know all of the particulars about your kids, keep your opinions to yourself, and just state the facts. The ADA said the trick is to be warm yet unemotional, supportive of RU but not to make the court feel sorry for the mom and dad. It's the finest line I ever walked.