Permanency Hearing.....Round 1

Today was the first permanency hearing for Iron Man and Little Bit.  I say first because, as this system goes, "best interest of the child" is somewhat gray....ok VERY GRAY!  So, these two (along with 2 younger siblings) have been in care now for a year.  Which in itself is not the odd.  BUT, theirs was supposed to be a 90-day reintegration plan. You see, they came into care due to not being properly cared for.  They were often hungry & not fed....and apparently the house they were living in had like 20 dogs (or more) living and defecating in the home.

SO, here we are a year later....mom has just recently obtained a job (more on that later), completed anger management & parenting classes, but doesn't have a place to live.  Oh, but it gets better....really....

Bio-mom has often fallen off the radar for a couple weeks at a time, and last week missed her meeting with her caseworker. (no call, no show) At court we sat....and sat...no bio-mom around...and when we finally got into the court room: We find out she is in the county jail.  (ah, there goes that job....since she's been in jail a week :-/  so much for income.)  Back to the hallway we go so we can all wait for her to be transported to court.  I suppose, lucky for her she was in state custody because she would have missed this otherwise (Yes, I am fairly certain...as she was a no show at court 6 weeks ago.)

Anyway, when we finally get this hearing underway....her attorney actually had the gumption to tell the judge "Your honor, Bio-Mom has been doing great and she is doing everything she needs to be."
(UMM, I had to stop myself...REALLY????  Am I the only one noticing her lovely orange outfit with the fabulous silver jewelry on her wrists and ankles????)  The two fathers for these kids aren't much better.  One is in jail and looks like 8 years this trip....(he's serving 3 concurrent sentences.)  and the other fired his attorney a year ago so that he could represent himself....and has never been back.

Well, thankfully the children's attorney spoke for them and asked for the state to move to adoption as a plan for the kiddos as there has been NO movement forward on this case.  (6 weeks ago with her no-show, and lack of feeding the kids on 8hr visits, and lack of carseat/seat belt usage...the court ordered supervised visits)..... So nope, only backward motion here.

Thank you judge....as you did at least move to concurrent planning with reunification as the primary goal and adoption as secondary.

I know in my heart this is a no win situation....but these kids deserve better....

The positive to the day:  I had a great chance to talk with one of the other foster parents.  I am really glad that kiddo 3....Butterfly is doing so well.  When the boys moved with me, they had asked me to take butterfly too...but right now I don't have a bedroom for her.  We all agree the children would do wonderfully together....and God-willing I'd love to be able to give them that home.

Please pray.  Pray for bio-mom.  She really needs to decide that her children should be first.  Not the drugs & alcohol.  Not the boyfriends.  Not the parties or playing.  Pray for the kids.  That they may know they are loved.  They are wanted. Pray for me & my house!