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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

HELP my friend had their child taken by DCFS!

As a foster parent I’ve been asked this a few times. The first time it was actually about my son!

So here is my advice:
The best thing you can do to get your child back is to do whatever DCFS/ DHS asks him to do! (DCFS- Department of Child and Family Service/ DHS- Department of Human Services) Even if they want you to do something weird or dumb, do it. If they do all they ask, the parent can and might get the child back. I can't make any promises because every case and judge and DCFS is different. Think about it logically, if the parent has a problem with drugs and DCFS tells the parent they need to go to rehab as part of the “reunification plan”, DO IT! If the parent doesn’t do what DCFS asks them to do, they are NOT going to get their child back.

I’ve also been asked if DCFS can have a child placed in a certain home:
As for having the child placed in a certain home, that is all up to DCFS. Their only preference for placements is to place them with the child's family members. They also try to place the child in the same home as it siblings (if they have any). They try to place sibling groups together (meaning, if 3 children who are siblings are all removed they do attempt to place them all in the same foster home). Also, if the child has an older sibling who has already been in foster care and has been adopted, they try to place the child in that home. Before we got Braxdon they were trying to place him in the home of his older brother’s adoptive family. Because they said no, he was placed with us. If no family is available they place the child with a foster family. There is no way to have the child placed in a certain home.

2 comments:

Becky said...

As a former foster parent for 15 years, my first bit of advice would be to get an attorney. That always seemed to make a huge difference.

Unknown said...

Becky when do you say it would be best to start considering to get an attorney, right from the start or after the first court hearing to see if visitation rights are given to birth parents, I'm still new to this.