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I could really use some advice dealing with our current situation - if there are any seasoned FPs or people who have suggestions on how to proceed I would GREATLY appreciate it!
We have been fostering a now 4 year old boy and his now 3 year old sister since Labor Day weekend. They had been removed from their home two weeks prior and were in a temporary home until a match was found. For the purposes of this long tale, we'll call them Bean and Butterfly. I'm too tired to think of anything less cheesy and more creative! They were severely neglected when they arrived, with the little boy almost non-verbal and communicating with grunts, and the little girl covered in open, infected sores and lice. They hadn't been to a doctor for a wellness visit in two years, were underweight with poor muscle coordination, etc. I could go on and on but I know many people here have had experience with children who have been neglected - it's not pretty. Suffice to say that it's been a long road, but they've made incredible progress and are thriving.
Their bio Mom has been involved in visitation from the beginning, but bio Dad has just started in the past six weeks or so. Mom has always have 2X a week visits, so Dad was granted the same. There was a PFA in place for quite some time, so the state agency feels that joint visits would be inappropriate. Mom lost custody of an older child to grandparents twice in the past and then again this past summer. She knows the drill, and always presents as very cooperative and agreeable.
The issue is that both parents have consistently cancelled roughly 50% of their visits. The excuses are always different - car broke down, sick, car impounded, aunt died, called into work on an emergency even though they were newly hired and hadn't completed orientation, depressed, doctor's appointment, etc. The cancellations are also always same day, an usually last minute.
Just last week, to give you a for instance, Dad cancelled both of his visits and Mom cancelled one of hers. Dad cancelled again yesterday and Mom cancelled today - after promising the kids they'd see another older sibling and go roller skating. This is typical - Mom makes grand promises and doesn't deliver. Pizza. Presents. The park. Then, she cancels, shows up late, leaves early, or "forgets" to bring what she's promised.
Mom cancelled two visits the week of Christmas and didn't give the kids presents until after the New Year. The presents were mostly used things they must have had at home, and we had to keep some of the stuffed animals in the shed because they reeked of smoke and we were afraid of fleas. She also cancelled a birthday celebration just a few weeks ago. She was a no-show for IEP consultations that delayed speech therapy for her son by six weeks. You get the picture.
For months, I have called and spoke with both the state worker and the parent aide from the third party that monitors the parents and their visitation. I've explained the impact that the lack of consistency has on the kids and the devastating affect that disappointment and lack of trust has. I've asked that if they're going to continue with 2X a week visits even though Mom and Dad each usually only made one, that the parents not promise things to the kids they can't deliver. I have been assured numerous times that the parent aides and social workers will speak to them to ensure they're not building up the kids for things they can't deliver. As today's cancelled skating rink visit shows, that clearly hasn't happened.
I'm frustrated, and have been for months. I love the kids and have bonded with them and I feel like I need to be their advocate. In my opinion, the state puts the desires of the parents over the well-being of the kids. When I asked about cutting down on scheduled visits I was told that wouldn't "look good for the parents." The GAL told me that it's something she will mention at the next court hearing - six weeks from now.
I feel like my pleas are falling on deaf ears, but after the kids had been with us for a few months and we saw the parents playing the game and doing the minimums to stay in their programs, getting kicked out of drug counseling, and skipping visits with no consequences, we made a pact to each other that we'd be a voice for the needs of the kids.
To break it down, they are supposed to have M-R visits, two with Mom and two with Dad. Each visit requires them to leave school early and be dropped off here at the house after the visit is complete. Once a month sibling visits are later, and in theory they're visits that will include dinner.
My biggest concern is the lack of consistency that the kids are experiencing, along with the obvious pain broken promises are causing. We worked so hard to get them on a schedule since they were not in nursery school or daycare and didn't have specific times to sleep and eat. Now, six months later, they (and we) don't know what the day will be like 4X a week. The four year old is learning days of the week and understands that certain things happen on certain days. He is very sweet, sensitive, and empathetic. He has had his heart broken over and over again.
Our entire lives revolve around this schedule. Because I teach, the amount of time I can stay after school is determined by when they're supposed to be home. There have been days when I left a meeting early only to come home and find out the visit was cancelled. This means I had to turn around, travel 25 minutes in the other direction, and pick up the kids. There have also been times when I was stuck and my husband had to take a half day from work in order to pick the kids up and get them home. We can't plan anything four afternoons/evenings a week because of visits that may or may not happen, and it's starting to get really old. Still, I'm an adult. I can deal. I can reschedule and scramble and make it work. The kids can't.
Am I being unreasonable? Am I being selfish? Am I so clouded by the love I feel for the kids that I'm making a mountain out of a molehill? I just feel like this has been allowed to go on for too long and neither parent is being help accountable. They're both supposed to show up for a doctor's appointment tomorrow. If they do it will be a first, but that's the kind of luck I have. Coming off a streak of 5 out of 8 cancelled visits, including tonight's promised skating party, I feel so angry that I don't know how I can be in the same room as they are.
Any advice? What can I do? What should I do? What voice do I have, if any, to advocate for some consistency for the kids and our family?
I am sorry you and the kids are going through this.
We also had issues with no-shows at visits. I transported to the visits and drove 40 minutes one-way. Finally, DYFS required that parents call the day before to confirm a visit. If they didn't call, DYFS canceled the visit.
My son was a baby when these visit issues were happening. He didn't know what was going on. I feel for your little ones- the disappointment of this has to be so hard on them!
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I could have written significant portions of your post.
It is extremely frustrating. It is so hard to see children you love hurting because their parent can't actually show up for a scheduled visit.
I was able to get some traction by emailing the GAL. I was very factual--- Here are the visits that have been missed on the following dates- thus for this month out of X scheduled visits, X have occurred. Of those X times we did not know the visit was cancelled and fs was brought to the visitation place for the visit.
I then describe the impacts it has-- ie on X date after fs went to a visit that did not occur, he came home and refused to sit at the table for dinner, but rather cried on my lap
I also agree with the confirmation calls- it makes a big difference.
We have lots of visitation trouble with one of our kids. Biomom now must confirm the morning of the visit. The policy here is also that if they no call/no show 3 consecutive visits then visits are suspended.
I like the idea of a confirmation procedure, and for a time I was told that was in place. I think it was 10am the morning of an afternoon visit. Either that's not being followed, or Mom is confirming and then canceling, or maybe we're just not getting notified until later - in either case I think that should change. A confirmation procedure is the bare minimum that should be done...
I should also mention that the outside agency has put a visitation contingency on Mom - if she does not attend her weekly (or maybe it's bi-weekly?) individual progress session she can't attend that day's visit. It was the agency's way of making sure she's not skirting those sessions. To my knowledge, that has only resulted in 3 cancelled visits. So, while I like that she's being held accountable for those sessions, her non-attendance also messes up visitation even more.
Thanks for the advice! Between the state worker, our home coordinator, the GAL/CASA and the individual visitation aides, I feel like I'm dealing with a million people and no one is taking steps to deal with this issue. I put a call into our home coordinator - she is our advocate and I explained to her that I need help and want to know how some changes can take place. I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but at this point we've been in it for some time and there's no end in sight!
Jeni - I think there is a similar policy with the agency the parents are involved in. The problem is that they've been through this before and know the rules. They'll each miss a visit, then attend, then miss two, then attend one, then miss one.... Mom calls most of the time with an excuse, so she's not technically a no-call. It's truly like they've worked out how to do the least amount possible but still technically be working their program. So frustrating.
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I am so sorry for you and those poor children to have to deal with all of that... I know it can be so frustrating.
We were told today that we need to increase visitation time with BD (after our 6 month review yesterday) I received a message from the SW this morning that he can only do Saturday right in the middle of the day... NO WAY will I agree.
I took the advice from someone on this board, and it looks like a few people have mentioned it as well and I am saying one additional day during the week right after school, so they're home right before dinner and he has to call by 5pm the night before to confirm. No call no visit. That way we can make other plans if necessary. So I am interested to see how that plays out, but I am learning this time to stick to what I want, no if's and's or but's about it! Also, I am not bending to what I agree to either because give an inch and they take a mile, I thought you only had to deal with that with the children, but apparently it goes for their parents as well.
Good luck with everything and I hope these poor kids quit getting disappointed, it's just so sad!
I am not sure where you live, but here in CA we are allowed to file a Caregiver's report that is filed with the court prior to the hearing and provided to the judge/other parties. This gives you an opportunity to tell the judge directly how the kids are doing. It also asks for your recommendation. You can provide info on the impact the missed visits are having on the kids.
I would think all these missed visits do not bode well for RU. Maybe the CW isn't aggressive with changing anything because she wants to demonstrate the bios are not following the plan.
Six weeks is a long time when your schedule is constantly upside down and so are your FK's emotions. But, we are all supposed to suck it up and take the hit while bios do their thing. Something is very wrong with this picture!
MamaInTheFuture
Between the state worker, our home coordinator, the GAL/CASA and the individual visitation aides, I feel like I'm dealing with a million people and no one is taking steps to deal with this issue. I put a call into our home coordinator - she is our advocate and I explained to her that I need help and want to know how some changes can take place. I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but at this point we've been in it for some time and there's no end in sight!
Considering on the inconsistency is impacting the kids, you are not overstepping your bounds by asking this to be addressed.
I like the PP's idea about sending a factual email about how many visits have been missed. Then, factually and with as little emotion as possible list the behaviors caused by this inconsistency.
And send it to EVERYONE.
AND, I would also call a Family Team Meeting for it to be discussed with everyone present. It's a lot harder to skirt the issue if you're looking them in the eye and everyone is there. :-)
MamaInTheFuture
I'm frustrated, and have been for months. I love the kids and have bonded with them and I feel like I need to be their advocate. In my opinion, the state puts the desires of the parents over the well-being of the kids. When I asked about cutting down on scheduled visits I was told that wouldn't "look good for the parents." The GAL told me that it's something she will mention at the next court hearing - six weeks from now.
Basically what they are telling you is that they are metaphorically giving the parents enough rope to hang themselves. Every missed visit is a step in the argument that these parents are *choosing* not to comply with the case plan. If DSS reduces the number of visits the defense attorney can present the picture that the agency is denying these poor dedicated parents the time they need to bond with the children. That it is DSS that is not following the reunification plan.
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I have been hearing a lot about these SW's building their case by allowing the BP's to, in an essence, hang themselves by failing to stick to a plan. Ladyjubilee makes a comment that reflects this. While we sit here as frustrated FP's watching the BPs play a game with their plans, we maybe don't realize what is going on at the back end of things.
This doesn't change the fact that it sucks to have to be at their beck and call, but it may be what is going on.
I think you guys are spot on with the "enough rope to hang themselves" theory. Sometimes more can be said by what the parents aren't doing as opposed to what they are doing.
Both parents were a no call/no show to this morning's doctor's visit, but the caseworker was present. We were able to have a long talk with him while waiting and told him about some of our frustrations with the current visitation schedule and the impact it has on the kids.
He said that the parents are currently making about 50% of their visits, and that there might be some solutions that can address at least the impact on our daily lives, such as changing visit times to happen solidly during the day instead of at the end of the day. This will at least give us some consistency in that sense, but raises a whole new bad of concerns. With visits happening 4X a week, morning visits will mean that they'll miss huge chunks of actual instruction time at their nursery school. Then comes lunch, naps, and then it's 2pm. We'll see what happens there.
I also mentioned the morning confirmation, so at least that's out there. Evidentially both parents have issues with their phone service being turned off frequently, so confirmation calls might disenfranchise them. It seems that they should be able to get to a phone at some point in the morning twice a week, but...oh well.
The worker also mentioned that he'd estimate the kids will be with us another six months or more. He thinks that at the nine-month TPR review/hearing, the parents will likely be given another six month extenuation. We figured this may happen, as they're still involved in their program and have expressed a desire to get things together.
So, the bottom line is that there won't be any signifiant changes as far as I can tell, but at least I got my feelings out there and noted.
Thank you all for the advice!
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We just started having this issue. After 6months one of the three visits was moved to the parents home and then another one of the visits was moved to the morning since all the visits up to this point were in the afternoon. Well the morning visits have been going on for a month now and the dad has made it to 1 out of 4 visits and the mom 2 out of 4. I honestly dont think her parents had missed a single visit until they started doing one a week in the morning. This morning i was 20 minutes down the road before they canceled. Each time the dad claims to be sick but hes now had stomach flu 2 or 3 times this month and strep throat once this month! The cw hasnt said anything to me about this but im assuming she will tell the judge right?
Matthew19:14
We just started having this issue. After 6months one of the three visits was moved to the parents home and then another one of the visits was moved to the morning since all the visits up to this point were in the afternoon. Well the morning visits have been going on for a month now and the dad has made it to 1 out of 4 visits and the mom 2 out of 4. I honestly dont think her parents had missed a single visit until they started doing one a week in the morning. This morning i was 20 minutes down the road before they canceled. Each time the dad claims to be sick but hes now had stomach flu 2 or 3 times this month and strep throat once this month! The cw hasnt said anything to me about this but im assuming she will tell the judge right?
I was under the impression that the CW would report all missed visits to the judge, but at the advice of more experienced FPs I started to keep track myself. We haven't attended court up until this point. The last hearing was in mid-January, and at that time we were about four and a half months in. We were always told we were welcome, but that if it was necessary for us to be there the agency would let us know. I teach, so going to court during a school day where I may not even be called to speak is difficult. I will be at the next hearing, which is about six weeks from now. I'll be there because I want to make sure that the judge is aware of all the missed visits and broken promises and the impact that it has on the kids. I'll be there because enough time has passed for me to feel comfortable advocating for the kids in that type of setting.
In our situation, we have an outside agency in charge of the visits and the personal plans for each parent. This could include drug counseling, domestic violence classes, employment education, housing, etc. The outside agency is supposed to give a report to the caseworker prior to each hearing, and the caseworker uses that information in court. My fear is that the caseworker is so overwhelmed that he's relying on that information and not keeping first hand records himself. I want to make sure that I can tell the judge how many visits were missed, what the circumstances were, etc.
I would suggest keeping notes. If you never have to use them, that's great. If you do, at least they're there...