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The agency is making this truly impossible. They have decided we need to come an hour for the visits part of the time and two hours for the visits the other half. Even though the agency handbook clearly says they are to be done in the HOME if at all possible. My husband works 24 hours on 24 hours off so half the days of the month are out from the start. Then another third are out because they won't do visits on weekends. So she said give her a list of days that would work ten days in advance and she could hopefully work out transportation assistance. We said we think we are being more than fair driving an hour and meeting them halfway. I can't leave my special childs at home alone for hours on end.
So the next email I get says these visits will work and two are a different times and at the two hour location and one is suggested AFTER Court.. Really? You think after court when emotions are running high and out of control is the appropriate time for a visit?
So I accepted ONE visit next month which you know they will use against us. Then for this visit I asked the worker what are we supposed to talk about? We are not allowed to say anything negative, talk about anything in the past or what is going on now that lead to the placement unless in a therapeutic environment. Well there is no therapeutic environment because we are doing no family therapy because they are concentrating on her individual therapy? So when are these things to be worked out? No one knows apparently and when we ask we are ignored.
Her reply was whatever we would talk to our other children about if we had not seen them for a week. I told her if our other children had these issues we would be discussing them and DEALING with them. No response.
We had the visit. My husband had a panic attack at the last minute and decided he could not do it. He said he could not sit there and listen to her talk about how GREAT her new life and say nothing. He says he is done. they have no intention of bringing her home and have made their decision so he is not lying and pretending at these stupid visits.
Thank God he didn't go to the visit cause that's exactly what it was. I gave her her Christmas gifts which she loved and hugged me for but then it was all about great her new school was, how she is getting $20 a week for allowance, how she is singing a solo at church etc etc etc. Then she said something about a class she was going to have to take her SENIOR year (she is a Junior) and the worker said something to that effect too! So they are talking about her senior year there! REally? We were told we couldn't talk about a month ahead but they are planning her Senior year there! It was ridiculous.
Now I think my daughter is under the illusion that she will live there and we will keep having these visits but that is NOT how it will be. If she can just turn her back on her family for a NEW start then she can have the new start and no family. I told her worker you realize it's not US she doesn't want to come home it is her town, her school and she has to face the consequences of her actions. She said well maybe she just needs a fresh start. Well I can't just MOVE my entire family for a fresh start for HER actions.
EVen if we get stuck with giving up the subsidy and paying child support it's not worth my marriage. We are always at each others throats before and after the visits. I can't sleep now after this visit and it's all I think about. It's not good for my mental health. I just can't go and pretend................
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I was explaining RAD to someone who told me, "Oh I knew someone who adopted a child with the opposite problem. This little girl had disorganized attachment, and was very clingy." I had to explain that this is RAD, too. Your little blonde haired, blue eyed charmer will eventually get back to her "normal", which is/ was hell for your family. As you know, she is showing the very best of herself to her "new" family. And I agree with you- she doesn't get to pick all of the new, fun stuff and ditch your family. And you will not uproot everyone in your family for her choices. I am sorry to hear the agency is not being at all helpful!
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This is RAD all over and only those who haven't a clue about it would believe this girl needs a 'fresh start'??? Rather than make your dd confront her actions and try to resolve some of her issues, it's much easier (and cheaper?) on the system to ignore what's really going on and give her that 'fresh start'.
As long as the system and many other social agencies refuse to recognize how damaging RAD is to the individual and society at large, little if nothing will ever be done. And, as is the system's way of doing things.......it's much easier to blame the adoptive parents for any woes instead of realizing the core problem rests with those initial years of neglect and/or abuse.
(Yes, this IS a soapbox issue for me....)
If given the option, I'd relinquish parental rights and allow the system to 'help her'. As it is, it's doubtful the system will ever assist you to help her because that would imply *they* might be at fault for her condition.
Sincerely,
Linny
LInny, that is what we would WANT to do. Although we consulted an attorney (a private one who is not our court appointed attorney who is a prosecutor and does NOT know what she is doing) and he said no way. He said they will drag it out until she is 18 since she is so close. She turns 17 Jan 19th.
DCF is acting like they can interveene with child support enforcement and get us no child support but other people are saying the judge has the final say. Although I do know in divorces the child support worker can make adjustments without the okay.
If we decide we don't want to work the reintegration plan who do we tell? Can they get us for abandoment? I just have NO ONE to ask!
Could you make out like you wish to relinquish your rights for your daughters sake? Point out how much easier it will be for her if it is done quickly, how much happier she is now, etc...? Even though we all know that in the end all of the special attention will be bad for her, you could still use it to your advantage, especially since you can do nothing to change it.
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I had not realized your dd was so close to independence. It may be easier to simply go with it and allow the situation to take care of itself. Easier said than done, I realize; but this is the same thing that happened to my friend's family. The kid is soon to be 18yrs old-they are being raked over the coals to pay for foster care-but they were advised by the time the courts are done, the kid will be 18 anyway and they'll have lost tons of $$$$ to an attorney AND the court system.
What 'waitedtolong' has suggested might be a good try. I'd mention it to DCF. But, be wary of them charging you with abandonment/neglect, etc. If you need to get a good attorney, you're correct in realizing some attorneys have NO CLUE about this and will easily take your $$$$ thinking *you* know no better.
Please feel free to pm me if you'd like. I can give you the name of an excellent attorney who may be able to help you; but I suspect the advice will be to just hang in there.
AND....once she's turned 18yrs old....you will NOT sign any guardianship of her, period. Your responsibility to her is then over.
Sincerely,
Linny
Well our DCF is recommending we just surrender our $500 a month subsidy for the court to reimburse the state for her care and NOT pay support. Yes we did get a free hour consult with a private attorney and he said if we tried to sever rights they would drag it out until she is 18. BUT we can be made to be responsible for child support if they charge it PAST 18 until she graduates high school!
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If you're given a deal where you only have to surrender your subsidy, take it! My friend's family had to surrender the subsidy AND pay child support as well. I get surrendering the subsidy; I do not understand having to pay child support on top of it too.
Sassafras, I have sent a pm to you as well for more info if you want to use it.
Sincerely,
Linny