Where do we go from here?
Back in October, it was determined that permanency was going to be extended until January. It's now a little less than a month until then and what I had assumed was going to happen has not.
When I worked at the agency, I knew what I would have done as the worker to make sure Little Man went home as close to the court date in January (within means and barring any issues).
His social worker was chastised for not being consistent with transportation and visits. So, naturally I assumed visits would happen more frequently and over Christmas break, we would start overnights.
Visits started more frequently but are less consistent than before. He hasn't seen his siblings or mother in a month.
Most of the visits were the ones I would drive him there and back because his worker would forget to put in transport.
Last visit was supposed to be a long one but the worker decided to change it to a short one because she messed up transport again. That was the last one we had...
Now, I'm being told that mom has asked to stop visits because she doesn't have time. She works 7 days a week.
I cannot figure out what is going on with this case anymore but I do know that overnights never started, visits are inconsistent, and now mom doesn't have time for visits. Part of me is angry that she can't get her shit together enough to get her damn kids back. I know it's hard being a single parent. Even harder for her since she has three. She's low IQ and poor. But to cancel the visits this late in the game is not going to look good for her in January. The other part of me is ecstatic because this means NO VISITS and it will look bad on her in January.
The other big thing is that I have hired a lawyer. I debated for a very long time what I wanted to do in this instance. Do I continue to sit back and see what happens and let it unfold around me? Or do I do something about it? I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't fight for him. So I am filing Interested Party status so I will have a say in court and I will also have access to the files and reports that, as a foster parent, I never see. I'm scared because this cuts me off from his mom, who I have a pretty good relationship with. This means I will no longer have access to him after he returns because I'm breaking trust. I was hoping to keep communications open and letting her know that if she needed help with him, she could always call me. Partly because she doesn't like him and I know she is going to struggle with him and the other two. I had secretly hoped she would reach out to me after he goes home and ask me to take him. But I can't rely on her knowing what's best for him and for her.
But I need to fight for my kiddo. I need to fight for what is right for him (and ultimately what may be right for her). So I have hired a lawyer. I am fighting for him. I will lose. I'm almost positive of it. But I want my Little Man to know, in the future, that I fought so hard for him because he's worth it. He's worth so much more.
When I worked at the agency, I knew what I would have done as the worker to make sure Little Man went home as close to the court date in January (within means and barring any issues).
His social worker was chastised for not being consistent with transportation and visits. So, naturally I assumed visits would happen more frequently and over Christmas break, we would start overnights.
Visits started more frequently but are less consistent than before. He hasn't seen his siblings or mother in a month.
Most of the visits were the ones I would drive him there and back because his worker would forget to put in transport.
Last visit was supposed to be a long one but the worker decided to change it to a short one because she messed up transport again. That was the last one we had...
Now, I'm being told that mom has asked to stop visits because she doesn't have time. She works 7 days a week.
I cannot figure out what is going on with this case anymore but I do know that overnights never started, visits are inconsistent, and now mom doesn't have time for visits. Part of me is angry that she can't get her shit together enough to get her damn kids back. I know it's hard being a single parent. Even harder for her since she has three. She's low IQ and poor. But to cancel the visits this late in the game is not going to look good for her in January. The other part of me is ecstatic because this means NO VISITS and it will look bad on her in January.
The other big thing is that I have hired a lawyer. I debated for a very long time what I wanted to do in this instance. Do I continue to sit back and see what happens and let it unfold around me? Or do I do something about it? I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't fight for him. So I am filing Interested Party status so I will have a say in court and I will also have access to the files and reports that, as a foster parent, I never see. I'm scared because this cuts me off from his mom, who I have a pretty good relationship with. This means I will no longer have access to him after he returns because I'm breaking trust. I was hoping to keep communications open and letting her know that if she needed help with him, she could always call me. Partly because she doesn't like him and I know she is going to struggle with him and the other two. I had secretly hoped she would reach out to me after he goes home and ask me to take him. But I can't rely on her knowing what's best for him and for her.
But I need to fight for my kiddo. I need to fight for what is right for him (and ultimately what may be right for her). So I have hired a lawyer. I am fighting for him. I will lose. I'm almost positive of it. But I want my Little Man to know, in the future, that I fought so hard for him because he's worth it. He's worth so much more.
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