CPS - Foster Care?

Question

One of my family members is currently working with DHS to regain custody of her child. She is complying with all classes and visitation. How ever it seems the Foster mother is attempting to discredit her in ANY way possible so she can adopt the child. Who knows anything about DHS and what the greivance process is or what additional steps can be taken to stop this? I have filed paperwork to be considered for placement of the child if it comes to pass that she does not go back to her mother. The case worker has NEVER contacted me directly nor is she returning calls. The Foster mom is in her 50's and currently has 9 (yes NINE) children she has adopted out of foster care. My sister was informed that when she adopts out of foster care there is a large sum of money that is given to her for doing so. Any info or recommendations anyone might have in relation to this situation would be appreciated! Thanks

Answer 1

Sadly this situation is very typical.

The best thing I can recommend is to get the BEST lawyer possible.  You might have to go into debt to obtain custody or to reunite the parent with child.  CPS hates lawyers (against them) and I know for a fact that there are some children that would've never been returned had a lawyer not advocated for them.

As far as the grievance procedure, CPS does have an ombudsman program but I'll be honest it doesn't work most of the time.  

The foster mother should have no say in what happens.

The next thing I can recommend is to go to the media for help. Perhaps call dateline, 20/20, primetime live, etc. as they might want to do a story about this... you never know....

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Having worked with adoptions for many years, and having been a foster mother for years, I cannot see how the foster mother is discrediting your sister.  My hunch is that it is after the child has visited the birthmother and returns home to the foster mother?  Does she report that the child is dirty, or complains that she was hit, etc.?  This can be resolved by your sister requesting supervised visits only, and not by the foster mother.  

You or your sister can contact the Supervisor of the Caseworker, and request a family meeting to discuss permanency planning for this child.  It is also possible (I have seen this a fair amount) that you do not know everything going on with your sister.  Sometimes the baby has tested positive to drugs in the hospital and the mother doesn't want her family to know so she blames the adoption agency or state for taking the baby for no reason.  Or if she tests positive for drugs even though she is telling you she is clean.  (These are simply examples!)

Your sister/you can also call the attorney for that DHS office and request that he/she look into the specifics of the case for you.  This sometimes lights a fire under them.  

As far as the foster mother getting a large amount of money to adopt -- not unless this child has special medical needs or severe emotional needs.  Then it is called an adoption subsidy, which defrays the expenses of raising a child with expense treatment needs.  These sums are not huge at all!  I have never met a rich foster parent yet.

I hope this helps!  Good luck!

Answer 3

I would call the case workers supervisor.  Foster mother should not be able to make any decisions concerning the child and parent relationship.  It is the goal to reunite families and foster parents are suppose to support that.  I would just go up the chain of command.  See if you can get the child moved to a different foster home!

Answer 4

Keep your head up. And if the mother is serious about this just keep her on the straight and narrow so they have nothing is discredit her about.

As far as i know they will try steps to get the parents back on track and give kids back to parents, or at least a family member, but it may be differnt where you live??

Maybe you need to try and speak to someone else at the DHS. Or even a lawyer??

good luck!

Answer 5

It is true that she gets money for adopting the child out of foster care.  She definately sounds like she knows what she is doing and looks like she is in it for the money.  Unfortunately some people just are.  By making up things about the child being special needs she is trying to get more money.  When you foster a child you get a daily reimbursement rate for the child and when they are special needs the rate is higher.  I am so sorry you sister is having to go through this.  I really don't know if there is anything you can do to stop her from making up lies, especially if she knows the case worker.  Good luck to you and your family

Answer 6

Your family member needs to make sure she documents EVERYTHING.  You need to tell her that she has to call her attorney now.  The foster person has a good chance of adopting that child if s/he has been in her care for a year, I think it is.  Your family member needs to make sure she gets her service plan that says that the plan is "return to parent" and not adoption or loss of parental rights.  

It's a scary thing.  Many fosterers are not in it for the children.  They are in it for their own gain.  You family member needs to make sure she is doing all that she has to do no matter what and make sure she documents everything.  

If you want her child then you need to send a certified letter return receipt requested to the caseworker and the supervisor and also the commissioner of social services about your wishes.  Have it notarized and then send it out to them.  Put in the letter that your phone calls have gone unanswered and also get your family member to sign a release giving you permission to speak to her caseworker etc.  

Scary thing that foster care.

Answer 7

Contact the director of the CPS office that's involved.  Explain the situation & see what the grievance process is & follow it to the letter.  Make sure your family member documents EVERYTHING she does...visitations, any contact with CPS, the foster family, etc.  She should keep a journal that could be shown to the judge if the case ends up in court.

Generally a stipend will continue with an adoption if the child is "special needs" (either truly special needs or over a certain age, an African American child over a lower age, a sibling group, etc.).  Depending on the age of the child, the stipend could be a decent amount of money...if the child is young, the stipend will probably be small or nonexistent.  IF the foster mother is "doing it for the money" that's terrible.  I know many, many foster families & don't know of one who does it for the money...as a matter of fact most pay more a month in additional expenses than they receive for the board payment.  A friend figured it out that with a little one they end up paying out about $100 more a month than they receive for board, and with a teen, they pay out at least a couple hundred a month more than they receive.  Again, if the child is "special needs" as defined by CPS, then the board payment & post-adoption-subsidy will be higher.

Answer 8

While the goal of DHS is "supposed" to be to reunite the biological family, we found out the hard way that DHS also gets paid a "bonus" for every child that they "permanently place" through adoption from foster care.  That tends to create a huge double edged sword in the world of foster care.  

If your family member truly is clean, and truly is working to regain her family, I would suggest contacting the social worker's supervisor.  If you don't get a response, keep climbing the ladder until you can get someone to listen.  

We faced problems with NJ DHS when we adopted our son because he had been removed from his bio-parents at birth and placed in kinship care with his grandparents.  His bio-parents decided that they wanted to make an adoption plan for him rather than follow the plan that DHS had set up for them.  However, because our son suffers from a severe medical disorder, DHS suggested to the bio family that they find an adoptive family to do a private adoption.  

Once we began with the private adoption, DHS "changed their mind" and decided they wanted to place the child in foster care.  I was told point blank by a social worker that our son was an "infant - and therefore a hot commodity" in the foster care program.  He would be perfect for the foster/adopt program.  I was appalled.  Fortunately, the family court judge felt the same way as we did and got involved so that we could proceed with the adoption and remove the state of NJ.   She is the one who chastised the agency and told them that this shouldn't be all about the "bonus" they would have received.  

Good luck to you.

Answer 9

This is horrible.  There are many things you can do in a situation like this don't give up, you need to put up a fight.  If the child's worker is not cooperating than you need to go their supervisor and explain the situation.  As a relative you should have been first in line for this child they never should have gone into a foster home in the first place.  As long as you are fit to care for the child and your home is adequate  there is no reason the child should not be with you.  And if the county has not taken permanent custody you can still get them.  Even after PC you can still get them it just takes much longer.  As far as your sister's part that does take a while longer.  When kids are taken from their parents a lot needs to be done to prove they are better and can stay better to care for the kids again, it doesn't happen over night.  It's a horrible thing when foster parents forget that their job is to help reunification.  Don't give up, good luck!

Answer 10

I have a friend who does foster care. And she is having an issue with a realitive of a child trying to get that child so they can live with family. My friend said that usually when a family member wants the child as long as they pass all of the countys procedures then they usualy get the child. A child being with family will also save the county money. The foster parent will be paid more than a relative. Not sure if it is the same in all states.