[harpertrance]

hey there. im usually on the SN boards but was told to ask a question or two over here, about my situation.

my kids (ds 4, dd 2) have been taken by CPS on accounts of suspected child abuse and neglect. My dd was admitted to the hospital where they found two old fx and a small brain bleed in her corpus callosum.

I never touched them. The full story is over on the SN forum.

they have been "removed" from me, since the 13th. basically they told me to get out of the hospital room, and i could no longer go visit her, or call to see how she was doing, or have any contact with my children what so ever.

i got a lawyer.

my son is in the valley with his grandparents, and my daugher is supposed to be released from the hospital tomorrow. Shes been there 4 days all by herself.

anyway, i am supposed to go to an adversary (sp?) hearing on the 27th... what is that? they said i MAY get my kids back then, is there a chance I will?

They are talking about switching schools for my son down there, and all my kids drs, therapies, and appointments, and even giving my ex mother in law a check for keeping them. Now, that they are doing all this, is there really a chance that I will get them back the 27th?

How does this whole CPS process work? I have no idea... all I know is that I am going nuts without my kids.

Any advice on what to do for the hearing?

Thanks guys...

Sorry if this is a little jumbled, its 1130 at night and I just got off work.

 

[Polliwog]

From reading your thread in the Special Needs forum, it sounds like you are on the right track trying to get more medical testing for your DD. I'm really sorry this is happening to you. Whether you get your children back at your court hearing, will really depend on the information CPS presents to the judge and what records your DD's doctors present. They very well keep your DD in care as a protection to her. Brain bleeding and fractures in a barely two-year-old are cause for concern. The fact that a toddler was even allowed on a trampoline is scary, unless you are talking about the little bouncy things that are designed for toddlers. But if you think she suffered fractures from using it, t hat makes me think it was a bigger one.

I know that you are scared but try and stay calm and push for more medical evaluations. Follow your lawyer's advice. I would develop a plan for getting rid of your dd's anemia. www.wholesometoddlerfood.com is a good site. About two cups of milk a day, lots of green leafy veggies and other iron-rich food, and maybe a supplement should help. I know they did with my DD.

Keep us posted.

 

[SundayCrepes]

I have nothing to offer, but my best wishes for you and your family. I read your thread on the SN forum and wanted to place a link here for anyone who wants to read it: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...136&highlight=

Having your children removed by CPS is one of the scariest things I can think of. I'm glad they're with family.

 

[Mama Phoebe]

I have no info regarding the CPS process. Is your lawyer able to help you with this? Are there any other advocacy groups to which you are connected that could help you? I haven't read your full story in SN but I can only imagine the nightmare you are going through. You sound strong in your post. I wish you all the best with your preparations and getting through this scary horrible time.

 

[Sierra]

The term for the hearing you are using is unfamiliar to me. All states vary in process, but usually there are hearings to bring the child into care, then a hearing to establish that the child was properly brought into care, then a hearing to begin establishing more facts and hearings for continuance of foster care as well as to simply track the case over time. Eventually there will be permanency hearings.

Your attorney really needs to work for you. You need to be able to get answers to these types of questions, at the time you need them. You should never have to walk into court or even DCFS without knowing exactly what you are walking into. The social worker should also be able to help you understand the process and what is expected of you. If I were you, I would ask both my attorney and the social worker to go through what happens in terms of hearings in foster cases. When do different hearings happen, and what decisions are made at each type of hearing. I would be clear that I am asking for broad information about the process, rather than specifics related to my case. Once I had the timeline for all cases, I'd know more what was required by law in terms of process and then could ask better questions about my specific case.

It seems you'll need to set some priorities too. Of course you will be feeling an urgent need to get your kids back in your care, and that is an important goal to work for. But from the very start, both to demonstrate your desire to get to the bottom of this and also for the good of your children, you'll want to work for other goals as well. For example:
1. To push for further medical testing.
2. To push for further investigation into whether there has been abuse at childcare or in the father's home.
3. To make sure that there is continuity in your children's care, therapies, etc. (They've just lost their mother, even if temporarily. The fewer other relationships they lose now, the better.)
4. To find out as soon as possible exactly what the department's expectations of you are and what services they are providing toward that end, so you can start working toward reunification if the court does not send your children home early in the process.
5. To push for as many visitations as possible, even though clearly they will be supervised.

As someone said in the other thread, do those things your attorney advises and also make sure everything is tip-top at home. Don't forget to keep a record of messages and texts left with the grandmother. This may end up being part of demonstrating your continued involvement.

As for the grandmother shoving your face in the fact that Caleb wants her all the time, keep in mind that any child experiencing the trauma of losing a parent (even if temporary) is likely to be very clingy with a relative care provider who is filling in.