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How Do Kids Get Their Own Attorney if State Won't Appoint a Guarduan Ad Litem

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  • 05-25-2013, 12:25 PM
    nessa_lou
    How Do Kids Get Their Own Attorney if State Won't Appoint a Guarduan Ad Litem
    My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: Washington
    My niece and nephew were recently placed in foster care. Some of the causes for the investigation were the kids behaviors. My nephew has been diagnosed with ADHD and his doctor thinks he may have ODD and be on the autism spectrum as well. Some of the symptoms are similar to signs of sex abuse, so that was the concern. I have dealt with CPS professionally with kids I've been assigned to help as a special needs aide and found them to be reasonable in the past. Not so with the investigator assigned to this case. She has continually been dishonest and cruel to the point it drove the kids mother to attempt suicide. Since their father was convicted of voyeurism and is a SO1 (case is under appeal) the kids were taken. I tried to have the kids placed with me and even though I have more training and experience than is required of foster parents, I was denied by a judge because she thought my belief of my brothers innocence and how I saw a lot of the behaviors possibly coming from my nephews diagnosed condition would make me unable to protect my niece and nephew. This after I had completed everything CPS had asked and they had told me and the parents they would recommend the kids be placed with me. At court the following day, they recommended they remain in foster care. My nephew is desperately trying to get away from his foster home to the point he is attempting to jump out of moving vehicles to run away. They say he is out of control. Now they want to institutionalize him, which is only going to cause more problems for the little guy (he is 8, she is 6). They will not appoint a guardian ad litem, they have volunteer CASAs who are usually not even attorneys that they appoint for the kids and can take several months to do so. What can we do to get the kids their own lawyer since we do not believe their needs are really being taken care of?
  • 05-25-2013, 02:11 PM
    aardvarc
    Re: How Do Kids Get Their Own Attorney if State Won't Appoint a Guarduan Ad Litem
    Quote:

    My nephew is desperately trying to get away from his foster home to the point he is attempting to jump out of moving vehicles to run away. They say he is out of control.
    Are you implying that an 8 year old attempting to jump out of vehicles is NOT out of control?


    Quote:

    Quoting nessa_lou
    View Post
    What can we do to get the kids their own lawyer since we do not believe their needs are really being taken care of?

    If the court has declined appointing a GAL, then the next option is picking up the phone book and hiring a family law attorney with experience in parental rights and child welfare cases.
  • 05-25-2013, 03:01 PM
    Disagreeable
    Re: How Do Kids Get Their Own Attorney if State Won't Appoint a Guarduan Ad Litem
    Contrary to your belief, it is reasonable to find you unfit. Allowing an 8 years old, especially an impaired 8 year old make adult decisions is equally foolish.
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