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Hi. I have spent hours upon hours trying to find information regarding my situation. I have filed a Motion to Intervene, and Petition for Adoption for my 2 1/2 yo granddaughter. TPR has already happened. The maternal grandparents are the placement providers (I used to live out of state and she was placed with them). I am the paternal grandmother. They have also petitioned to adopt. So basically, we are fighting against one another to adopt. I know it sounds odd that two grandparents are fighting for adoption, but I am fighting to give her the best chance at a safe, secure childhood. There are several other reasons/stories I could tell, but that is not my purpose for writing this. The adoption hearing isn't scheduled for 3 more months. My lawyer and I feel that she should be spending equal amount of time with each set of grandparents, because there is a 50/50 chance of who the judge chooses for her to be placed with. With that being said, my lawyer and I feel, based on the evidence and information we have against the other grandparents for the hearing, it's more like an 80/20 chance in my favor.
I have had visitation with her, at one point, a weekly 8 hour visit, and was told eventually I would get weekend visits. Then because the other grandparent caled the abuse hotline and claimed abuse in my home, my visits were changed and reduced. The investigation came back unsubstantiated, as I knew it would, however my visits were not returned to 8 hour weekly visits. The CD are and have verbalized their reason for reduced visitation is because "it's to protect me and alleviate the possibility of future hotline calls." This to me is completely unfair!
Has anyone heard of or experienced this situation, or have any information of how I can be treated fairly by the CD? I believe an every other week schedule is appropriate. And while the hotline was being investigated, I had to have my 2 hour visits supervised and the CD workers saw how happy she was in my home and around me and my son. They saw how she didn't want to leave and how strong our bond is. Basically, I feel they are afraid of the other grandmother's wrath, because she is not a nice woman when she doesn't get her way. (That was a nice way of putting it). Honestly, I feel discriminated against by the CD.
You can always contact the Office of Child Advocate and file a complaint. They review foster care cases (among other things). I can't promise they will for sure be able to help your situation, but if you feel CD is not doing the right thing, that is one option.
Here is the link: [url=http://www.oca.mo.gov/]Office of Child Advocate[/url]
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Thank you elk134! I was not aware of the Office of Child Advocate. I appreciate your response. :)
They do often give time for custodials to hang themselves. It seems the wrong way to go, but it can cancel a lot of future meetings. I wonder if they know they can have enough stuff to get custody to you next time without the games of pretend abuse charges.
Chloroxsis, Can you please elaborate on your comment? Not sure I understand your point. Thanks.
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This time around 5 months. Previously one year. They violated the court order last January. I was not living in Missouri at that time so she was placed in Foster Care, then after three months, placed her back with them.
Oreo it sounds like you have been thru a great deal. :(
I am in a contested adoption right now as well and it is very nerve racking.
Have you tried talking to or getting the GAL to help you? Does the GAL support you or the other grandparents or is GAL willing to help you?
Have you tried to talk with the other grandparents?
In my contested adoptin we have tried to talk to the other partys and they wont talk to us. I think if we could talk it would be best for the children but they wont do it. But bottom line is once the court date comes there will be decision made and I fear for the children in our case and want to still be involved in their lives because even if it dont go our way, (which we think it will) I want the children to always know we are here for them and to be here for them. We also worry if we get adoption, that down road that the children will be angry at us if they don't get that relationship with them. Can you try to talk to them?
Will GAL help you? Sometimes, GAL's don't do a dang thing. You probably got one of those?
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