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Today we had a visit with my adopted kids' first mom and her two kids, a new baby and a toddler. The visits take place every two weeks in another county, and are required to be at the DHR office and supervised. That is totally against policy for us, but they are jerking us around with visits ever since the toddler came into care a year ago and I had to go up the ladder to prevent toddler from being adopted out. Whichever higher-up person who was trying to give the child to a certain couple looking for a baby to adopt was apparently quite offended the plan didn't work, and my kids and I have NOT been treated too nicely ever since. The SW has changed his behavior in the past few months and seems to understand I'm just fighting for the kids to be together and they love each other. However we don't see him much. And he's the low rung on the ladder.
The supervisor for the visits hardly speaks to the kids, and just sits and writes comments on her paper or does other paperwork. Since the newborn arrived, the SW supervisor has relented and allowed the first mom and me both to stay in the visits. It was hatefulness we were ever NOT allowed. Several of our visits have been cancelled last minute, even though we travel 2 1/2 hrs to get there and the kids miss school. Visits are only allowed during school hrs, I'm sure to discourage them from taking place. Sometimes they take place in tiny rooms, with the office knowing full well there are 7 kids that are visiting. We missed our visit 2 weeks ago due to tornados that day. We also were not allowed a make up visit. When we were almost to the other county today, I received an email stating the visit needed to be cancelled due to no room available and the visit supervisor couldn't come. A minute later came a "never mind" email, saying the visit was still on.
When we got there, we were led to an adequate size room with a decent amount of toys. There were 5 desks/work areas against walls, two unused. There were 2 women working at the desks and the visit supervisor took the third desk. The children played and had a good time. One of my AS's always gets a little nervous there, he was in foster care a LONG time, moved 20 times, and he acts out a little when there by being aggravating to my little son. Normally they get along great, and the little guy worships his big brother. Now any decent SW oughta realize foster and former foster kids can act out just a BIT. Especially when stressed. But its like they just want to see that my kids aren't perfectly behaved so they can say something ugly and claim I cannot control my kids. Nevermind we have had numerous stressful visits where either the SW supervisor or the former foster parents of the siblings started some drama in front of the kids.
The first hour of the visit, I did have to talk to my older and youngest sons there about sharing, not talking too loud, not running. The second half, they were fine. But the visit supervisor was like nitpicking their behavior the entire time, like she walked in ticked off and was just looking for somebody to fuss at. Then 30 min. before the scheduled end of the visit, she tells the kids put everything up. She had already gotten on to the boys for using empty chairs and an unused desktop to color on. So what were they supposed to do the last 30 minutes? Sit on the floor and whisper?? I told them put away everything but a couple of things after reminding her we still had 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes later she told them put it away again and pack up our snacks. We did. My kids' first mom was cleaning off the table and the visit supv. acted rudely to her, like she was missing a spot. So she said something back to her in Spanish and English calmly, which annoyed the woman and I jumped in. I told her it seemed she had had an attitude since we came in the door. The kids hadn't been bad, yet she was fussing at the slightest opportunity and ending the visit early, and criticizing the pretty much perfect clean up job we did. Another worker jumped up and said they didn't have to let us visit anyway, she had cancelled her foster kids family visits today and we should just be happy we got to visit at all! I told her these kids deserved their visit, we come a long way to get there, it had been a month since the last one, and a devastating tornado had blown through since with everybody worried about each other's safety, and that our visits were not her business to cancel. I told the visit supv. I knew she was writing every little detail about our visit down and I know she'll be complaining about us now, but I certainly will be writing someone about her behavior as well. She just smarted off the children didn't act perfectly and did sit in the chairs and use loud voices at times. I looked down and saw one tiny thing left on the floor and said "whoops.... here's a little ball, I better throw that away... maybe we should empty the trash out on our way.." then headed with the kids out the door. We continued our visit outside DHR several more hours and the kids ended up having a wonderful time. But they won't forget her behavior and the stress level will be up there again in two weeks when we go back. Of course, when the SW supervisor hears me and first mom stood up to the visit supv., we'll probably be punished again by stopping visits again for awhile, or saying me and first mom can't come in anymore. I DON"T want my kids around ANY of the workers I've met in that county unsupervised -except maybe the siblings SW- he's a sweet guy and good with the kids. Our first visits a year ago started out with my kids' county SW SUPERVISOR coming to supervise the other county's SWs supervising the visits, as my adoption SW had been treated shockingly horrible when standing up to the other county and demanding visits for my kids with their siblings. And yes, the head of the state knows all about all that already. Everybody who could be involved and mediate and discipline has been involved. They just continue to get away with treating us like crap, and I'm painted as an argumentative trouble maker. I'm thinking that particular office just has a "screw you we can do whatever we want" culture. I quit fighting for visits elsewhere months ago and gave into their little game, believing if we are going to have a chance to bring home the siblings when the mother messes up again, we need the documented visits and demonstrated cooperation. I just can't believe all this. I've never fostered any other kids but my adopted kids. I have to deal with two other counties, the one my kids are from, and my own county. I have an excellent relationship with both of them, and both the other counties are shocked at this county's behavior. My first SW who led our training classes years ago actually told me recently that county's behavior towards my kids and me made her ashamed and embarrassed for the entire DHR department. I just don't get it and I'm so angry right now. I know within a few days something ugly will be said and my kids visits will be affected, and there won't be anything I can do about it. I also know they are having a meeting in a few weeks to decide whether to continue services for the first mom. I believe they will say she is doing fine so they can be rid of the problem they created when they tried to adopt out her baby- saying no way should a reunification be attempted, and then they got in huge trouble. Just give the baby back and act like nothing ever happened. Yet she has an extensive history of doing fine for awhile, then has boyfriend trouble and falls apart. Since she now has another new baby with another father who also has another woman pregnant, I don't think the pattern has changed and these children still need to be protected and watched over. The circumstances the toddler was found in REALLY were HORRIBLE, and with the long history of such things, RU should NOT have occurred. So why can't this be about the safety of the children..................!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????? UGGGHHHH!!!
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Bamamom07
Today we had a visit with my adopted kids' first mom and her two kids, a new baby and a toddler. The visits take place every two weeks in another county, and are required to be at the DHR office and supervised. That is totally against policy for us, but they are jerking us around with visits ever since the toddler came into care a year ago and I had to go up the ladder to prevent toddler from being adopted out. ......... I also know they are having a meeting in a few weeks to decide whether to continue services for the first mom. I believe they will say she is doing fine so they can be rid of the problem they created when they tried to adopt out her baby- saying no way should a reunification be attempted, and then they got in huge trouble. Just give the baby back and act like nothing ever happened. Yet she has an extensive history of doing fine for awhile, then has boyfriend trouble and falls apart. Since she now has another new baby with another father who also has another woman pregnant, I don't think the pattern has changed and these children still need to be protected and watched over. The circumstances the toddler was found in REALLY were HORRIBLE, and with the long history of such things, RU should NOT have occurred. So why can't this be about the safety of the children..................!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????? UGGGHHHH!!!
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Ok sorry.. so MAD last night.
My kids are from one county who tried for years to RU but it didn't work. Eventually I got the four oldest kids- the only ones in care at the time, and they are adopted. Then mom had another baby in a different county. She got reported, and workers found the baby in horrible circumstances, and gave her to a couple that day, telling them TPR would be a slam dunk and they would adopt her within months. They also called my adoption worker that same day, who told them we wanted the baby to be with siblings and would come get her right now, we were ready and licenced and had anticipated the baby needing care. She was told no, a perfect couple had the baby.
We then began trying to just get visits. I knew it might take time to determine whether to TPR, and the baby probably needed to remain in the same area until they decided whether to work with the mother or not. But from the very beginning, the county was extremely rude to my adoption and social workers, and to me. We were told my children did NOT need visits, the baby doesn't know them, she's just a baby. My little 5 yr old bio son who only knows his adopted siblings as his REAL siblings, and the baby as his sister who just lives with her mom hours away, was refused visits and told the kids are NOT his brothers and sisters. It took months to get visits. Then they were cancelled, usually last minute. 5 of the first 7 scheduled visits were cancelled, with one being after we had driven two hours to get there. Then the foster parents started acting hateful, and being allowed to. When I complained, it got uglier, including stopping all visits for a month and a half when foster dad came up to me at the end of a visit he wasn't allowed at, stood a foot from me glaring at me with fists balled up. Since I took it all the way to the top, the office got in trouble, but with each report I gave to the state about mistreatment, more mistreatment followed. The baby was RU'd in spite of everything, and mom is currently handling parenting her and newborn. My young bio son, first mom, and I are all included in visits since the new baby was born, and we have been enjoying them. The first mom is not a bad person, but has lapses of months where she makes deplorable choices which kids shouldn't be around. I want her to be ok. IF she can be ok, she should parent the little ones, and we should visit. That should take quite an extended period to determine though, with her track record of fine for months, then not fine for months. If she is not going to parent adequately, then the little ones should come home to their brothers and sisters.
What happened here is, a baby was picked up in bad conditions, a snap judement was made she would go to a certain childless couple wanting a baby, and family would be pushed away. Well this family fought back, babies are not puppies to be passed out to whoever. The office got busted on it, and have been unbelievably rude throughout. If this RU fails, then we WILL fight to bring the babies home. Until then, looks like we just keep having to fight just to visit. And that's just how it is... no matter who hears the facts and how high up they are. And that just sucks.
Oh.... I was fighting for the kids to have visits, and to be the ones to adopt the baby should adoption be needed.
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And the visits are supervised, in the DHR office, because they never wanted to allow them and they have made them as difficult as possible from the beginning. The visits have also only been allowed to be on a weekday between 8 and 4pm, knowing my kids are school age and we travel 5 hours total to visit. Eventually we were allowed a supervised library visit, but when the foster dad acted like he was about to punch me, visits were stopped 6 weeks, then restarted back at DHR, supervised. Somebody in that office REALLY likes those foster parents. And REALLY hates me for interfering.
LeiLei7
I guess I'm still not understanding why CPS is even involved at this point? If the youngest 2 have been RU'd with bio mom and the adoption of the older kids has been finalized....couldn't you & bio mom just arrange visits yourselfs? At a park or other neutral location?
Yes Libby, that's it. The foster parents had the baby until a few months ago. DHR would not even respond to my requests for the foster parents number so we could set up play dates--we had to FORCE visits. Now that the babies are with mother, we COULD visit outside of DHR. If we have another visit cancelled, we will still just go anyway and have our own visit.
The reason I am still going through DHR is I am anticipating the RU won't last--as they never have more than a few months before- and I think it's important this completely uncooperative DHR has it documented that we were there every time we were supposed to be, we are fully cooperative even with their crazy demands of supervision and school hour visits. We were there when the new baby was born, visiting in the hospital. When mom messes up, I want it airtight and undeniable these babies have family and we will not allow them to be given away, sold, or whatever it was they tried to do last year.
In January, birth mom asked me if we could keep the toddler a few days while she was in the hospital having the new baby-- I happily agreed, knowing the kids would be thrilled. I emailed the supervisor with the mom's request. I also asked if they would approve the toddler spending the night with us in a hotel in their city one or two nights a month (pd for by me) so she could get used to us, have more fun time with her siblings, and not get too scared and cry when separated from her mom a few days for the baby's birth. I added her other sister (only 5 yrs old) whom the mother has no contact with but we do could also be included in the overnight visits. Boy did that get an ugly response!! I was told absolutely not, as long as DHR had custody the child would never spend one night with us, and DHR knows nothing of this sister and her father and there will be no visits with her either. If they had looked at the records from their neighboring county, there is extensive info about the sister and her father.
If mom makes it and has truly changed her ways.... fine. We will always be there for the younger kids and I'm sure they will be in and out of our home visiting plenty. It's just if she doesn't make it, we're the only other family the toddler has and she is loved and wanted. The newborn may have plenty of closer relatives who'd be qualified to take him, I don't know. But if he doesn't, he's not for sale either. It's just so outrageous how we have been treated... and it just goes on and on and on. If we are to have a chance at being the safety net for these children, we just have to put up with DHR and cooperate no matter how we're treated. With the supervisor's response to my request to babysit a few days, I know we still have a battle ahead and the former foster parents or other foster parents could still get her if RU fails.
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Yes I know. And the boat shouldn't have needed rocking. If they followed their own rules there wouldn't have been a problem. But they refused and kept purposefully stabbing harder and harder, leaving me no options. So they get in serious trouble for their illegal actions, and just keep up antagonizing us as payback. You'd think they'd realize they're digging themselves a hole and just STOP it and follow their own policy... but it never ends.
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