
Quoting
Chris_H
Didn't get a lawyer right away because we couldn't understand why they even took him. When the intake caseworker finally called us she said she shouldn't have taken him if she knew all we told her. She said she would pass on that information to the next caseworker and we thought our boy would be home in a week. None of the hearings were heard in the legally required time period. We have had a lawyer since Dec 2013. She advised to do everything CPS requested, before they had the caseplan ordered. We thought the caseplan was ridiculous, but did it anyway. CPS lost documentation, then denied it was what they required, then grudgingly accepted it, but each time meant more delays. They refused to answer phone calls. Then claimed the phone calls we did get qualified as the monthly meeting we found out we were supposed to have. They refused to set up counseling after cancelling the psychologist I had for GS. I really don't know why the lawyer didn't file to force them to follow their caseplan.
Our lawyer and our sons lawyer both filed to have the GAL removed, judge denied the motion; said he had been on the job long enough to know what he was doing.
All along our lawyer, and a counselor, and a psychologist kept asking us why we wanted this kid back in our house. Do you kick your family to the curb even when they are being a P.I.T.A.? We don't, we believed in hanging in there to get him help, and we were prevented from doing that. The only thing we've managed is to force them to get him to a doctor and a psychiatrist. We did manage to get the current psychiatrist to finally start getting him off an anti-psychotic after I asked the lawyer to file a paper with the doctor & the court saying we, his legal guardians, were never consulted and would never have given permission for him to be on that drug. I guess the threat of liability for injury scared the psychiatrist.
At this point, we think we are done. CPS can give legal custody to that family and our son can file for visitation starting with reunification counseling. That's our best shot of getting him out of where he is. They don't give a crap about his future. That branch of his family goes from minimum wage job to minimum wage job; boy/girfriend to the next, etc. At least his mom knows he was better off with us, and that's her own aunt! But they trash her to our GS's face as a 'bar whore', etc. His mother is not stable enough to take him, but I know she wouldn't knowingly let him sleep with his girlfriend, or watch porn.
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CrazyWhovian, if CPS keeps your daughter in foster care, it will be very doubtful they will send her out of state. Did CPS take all your children based on this child's claims? Are they all in the same foster placement? How often are your visits? Does she have a GAL or a CASA?