Advertisements
I'm new and don't really even know where to start im not even sure im in the right place I guess I'm just hoping someone can give me advice I'll try to keep it short my sister got into some trouble and had her 4 month old was taken away 5 months later I was contacted by dhs asking if I would be willing to take my nephew in I said yes currently I've had what's called an icps I think and paperwork and finger prints background check home evaluation and now I'm waiting to hear back but I was just informed that because my nephew is going to a different state (where I live) I will not receive any financial support from the state he came from (I thought I would at least receive support for daycare) now the state where I live is telling my that I won't receive support because he's coming from another state I'm single with no kids of my own and after reading some of the threads on guardianship, custody, and foster parenting I'm a little worried that I won't have legal rights over my sister so she could take my nephew when ever she wanted and I won't get the help I was expecting my questions are has anyone gone through this and been told they won't receive financial support do you think both states will close their cases and leaves us on our own and should I try to become a licensed foster parent for my nephew will that get me help or make things more difficult just so you know my nephew is coming from Colorado and I live in georgiaUpdate the social worker is talking about adoption and termination of my sister's parental rights. I'm just lost right now is there anyone who lives in GA going through this does anyone know if I can get a social worker of my own to get help and how to do that I'm currently trying to find a daycare it's hard because I'm not sure I will get help to pay for it
Last update on November 9, 7:34 pm by auntie mom.
Like
Share
What state is the child coming from? We are on Kinship ICPC and we do get a stipend from the state the kids are from (some states do not give stipends to kinship). We also are getting legal guardianship (which you should insist on especially if they are not giving you anything else) Legal Guardianship helps to protect you and gives you rights. In order for your sister to get the baby back after you have LG through the courts she would need to go to court and prove you to be unfit and that she is fit which she would have to pay for her own lawyer. We became licensed foster parents because it was required for our ICPC and I would recommend you do the same if nothing else than to get support and someone to talk to for questions that may come up (your licensing worker is your friend).
Advertisements
Welcome to the whirlwind that is kinship careIt varies from state to state. ICPC (as pp mention - interstate compact on the placement of children) is a federal mandate. basically, it means your state agrees to " take on the burden" of the "orphan" child (legal wording.. it makes me roll my eyes every time i see it)it is bureaucracy at its finest.. in short, one the sending state (where the child is now) identifies an out of state resource, they send paperwork to the received (your) state. the receiving state assigns a resource to do your background check (following the sending states requirements - which can be different form the receiving state), does a home visit to make sure its safe place, and you are good peoplethe casework makes recommendations which go to the state level for approval. the paperwork is sent back to the sending state an eventually ends up with the original caseworkerthis can take anywhere from a couple months to a couple of yearsthings to expedite the process... 1)start getting licensed to foster in your state (made a huge difference in my case)2) reach out to all involved caseworkers on a weekly basis3) keep track of where the icpc is (mine was lost in a box at the state level at one point)as for money typically - pre-finalization (you need the child in your home for 6 months before they will allow you to finalize your adoption), you can usually get a stipend form the sending state that matches what they'd pay any foster resourceafter you adopt, the subsidies have really dried up for non special needs kids. many sates, however, define kid's in foster care a special needs... as they do kids with siblings. you need to check with the sending state to determine how they define special needsday care post finalization, typically not (again, it your mileage may vary)but most states will provide health insurance/medicaid if neededyou can find more on kinship care here" https://adoption.com/forums/256/kinship-relative-a...