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We are heading to mediation later this month and TPR has been scheduled for November. The reason for mediation when we doubt BPs will show is to mediate with great grandparents. They filed to intervene in the case right after we filed to intervene and we were granted status. Our attorney is wonderful and said at mediation she is going for birthday and Christmas presents allowed, we send school pics once yearly and any visits are at our sole discretion only in the event that TPR is granted, they revoke their intervention and we adopt. We are facilitating visits every other week with GGPs right now and supervising them at our attorneys recommendation (showing that we DO want to maintain appropriate contact in the hopes they will drop their case, which CPS has a motion to strike their intervention in place). Here are my dilemmas:
1. GGPs want to have FD13s phone number (she doesn't want them to have it. I don't mind using my phone for calls as GGPs already have my number to set up visits.
2. GGPs keep mentioning other family members who want to "visit" in front of the girls which makes them (and us) uncomfortable. This is NOT going to happen as CPS said its not allowed and GGPs are the only ones who have requested visits and had criminal background checks. However, CW won't call the GGPs to tell them this unless they actually bring others to a visit (which puts us in a difficult position).
3. GGPs are both elderly and he is in the beginning stages of dementia. Everyone says we have nothing to worry about - that the girls ARE NOT going to be leaving us to live with them but I'm still very concerned.
4. GGPs are bringing lots of junk food to visits (seems like bribery to me as it is EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF CANDY) and both girls have gone through extensive therapy due to eating habits while they were with bios. (Obesity, hoarding, only eating junk food, etc.). They have made amazing progress in the 9 months we've had them and this is disturbing to us.
5. GGPs want full or joint custody of the girls (we would never agree to joint, much less full custody as it is OBVIOUSLY not in the girls best interst or what they want). So how likely are they to agree to our stipulations at mediation?
Sorry, I know this is long so if you are still with me, thank you! Any BTDT or similar situations have advice?
EDITED TO ADD:
GGPs have very little bond with the girls. They hadn't seen them in over 5 years before May 2014.
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