Advice on foster care case worker?

â™¥ CHARLI â™¥ â™¥ â™‚â™‚â™‚â™‚â™‚ â™¥

Awww honey.
Not good, not good at all. Especially since the parents are still saying they cannot cope.
I know when I was 11yo (7 years into Foster Care) I started visiting *Egg Doner* and her *Husband*, without supervision. One weekend visited I rang my Dad (Foster) up and he came and got me. I spent a week in hospital.
That's all I know, I have blocked memories from it. *I feel* they are pushing kids back into their *Families* home too quickly. I know with my own personal case, I was pushed into doing things against my will.

If she isn't allowing you to talk to her supervisor, she is actually breaking the law. You are able to contact her, without her wishes.
When Dominik came into my care, I couldn't stand the attitude I was given by the State Worker, so I went straight above her. I refused to deal with someone who was too ignorant to listen.
If she isn't listening to you, go above her, WITHOUT her permission. And document everything.
I would even video tape their behaviour when they come home. There isn't an avenue I won't take to protect any of my children, and knowing you, I know you are the same.

We had a recent hassle with Dominik, having a complete breakdown one night, going into a violent rage. A week has passed and he told me, that he *thought* he saw his parents. That is why he was edgy.
So I can only image how the children feel actually being in care with them.

Oh I am soooo sorry this is happening to those kids. They don't deserve it.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx...

Kazi

This is completely unacceptable and one of the many things that frustrate me about Children's Services. This is a case of putting parent's rights/needs over a child's. But it seems even in this case the parents are saying they cannot do this, so you may very well be dealing with a social worker who is either burnt out or lazy. I agree with the above poster, document EVERYTHING. And do not stop voicing your concerns, but more than that, go over her head and speak to her supervisor. If she is telling you that you can only go through her, well that is rubbish. She has a boss like everybody that she is accountable to. And if you are still hitting a brick wall, then go to their governing body (which differs depending on where you live). DO NOT stop fighting for these kid's right to be safe. Someone will listen if you press hard enough. The last thing Children's Services needs is more bad press, so if you stick on them and your concerns are in fact proven legitimate, then they will have to take action.

Good luck!!

rosebud114

Document everything you see and the kids say to you. Include dates and times and write down exactly what they say. Do not put anything they say into your own words. Include exactly what you see/observe. Do your best to keep your impressions out. Describe their behavior before the visits and the behavior after. Be as detailed as possible. Also document all contact you have with the case worker, in the same way, being as detailed as possible. Include the observations you've made and be clear in your notes that you made the case worker aware of your specific concerns. Make specific note of how the respond, what they say and how they say they'll deal with it. Document how they respond or don't for the next 2-3 visits, or more if it seems things are getting better. If nothing happens, contact the worker again, using your notes to point out specific observations. If still nothing happens, then take it to the supervisor. You should have plenty of documentation by that point to convince them that the kids are being placed in an unsafe situation.

â™¥â™¥Ritaâ™¥â™¥

In addition to the above answers.....do not prompt the children to talk about the visits, don't encourage or question because this can be leading them to embellish and that is frowned on.....even if they didn't embellish. Just let the children talk and you just listen. Actively listen too....pay attention to their body language and to the things they do not say. And as stated already document all of it., Keep a running journal. If it is a daily journal, it makes more of an impact to those who make the ruling.

Is there a court advocate for the children?? A guardian ad lit em, child attorney....anyone that is there for the children besides you and their worker?? If there is anyone, talk with that person. Their worker may mean well, but it is hard to see the big picture when one is standing so close to it and she may be very close to the situation and not looking at this from an impartial stand point......

Good luck to you and I hope all works in the best interest of the children.

EDIT:

This is in response to a following answer:

In my corner of the world, there is a push for foster parents to "mentor" the child's parents....it is not looked as being criminal, it is looked as being very healthy becasue the children often do get to see their parents more and the parents are more apt to follow through with a treatment plan and do not lose hope because they only get to see their kids twice a month.
In the old days, the philosophy was to "punish" the parents by not allowing them to have contact with their children............but who loses??

If f/parents are able to have contact with the parents, then I do not see anything wrong with that as long as the f/parent has good intention and the motion is not to undermine the progress of the parents in their treatment.

Naysaãƒ„

Well i hope to become a case worker one day, so my advise to you would be...
Try a few more times talking to her, it doesn't matter what she says, JUST DOCUMENT IT, once you have spoken to her asap go and write down what was said from both of you including times and dates, try and get things word for word. Then once you feel you have enough tell her what you have done (documenting) and ask her to please do some thing look into it, if she agrees keep documenting and if you are unsatisfied at the end once again tell her you are going to her supervisor, take it to the supervisor, everything you have written down. The supervisor should appreciate this as this is what they are trained to do (document) when they are at a lower level in their career (the case worker SHOULD know this aswell)
and if nothing happens after a fair amount of time take it to the child protective services
Also write down things the children do/say when at home with you as some one else said before
Goodluck, if you would like any more help just contact me :)

EDIT: oh by the way, the reason why i tell you to document what the case worker does/says, is so that it proves that she does nothing to her supervisor, all in all it would be her word against yours, this just covers you a$$ so it does not look like you have a personal vendetta against her lol and also do everything ROSEBUD says aswell :)

Bizzi

"I've recently found out that they are in fact still using, and the children are displaying so many behaviors that worry me, such as coming home hitting each other, talking about "medicine", etc. There's also been a few incidents already where the kids have been injured and/or endangered."

Wow you know the parents first hand do you? You know you seen them doing the drugs? interesting...

I was not with drug addicts while in care but I still tuned violent.. and hit others and acted ot.. did it ever occur to you that behavior is coming from having their lives turned upside down?

Did it ever occur to you that is why 80% of the prison population have foster care files...

It's people like you that promote people like me being stolen from good homes.. and forced to live with pedophiles rape hounds and psychopaths?

You are not legally allowed to know **** about the parents... if you do then your breaking the law and your a criminal...

"Basically, I'm terrified for the children's safety. "

I am terrified for all the children in care safety...but I guess that is what separates us. I was a kid who grew up in the foster care slavery system and you the parent who gets paid to store us like cattle.... after we are stolen from our parents...

I am so disgusted by so mnay of you here.. you wanna play hero but when one of us people they you played hero with grows up and call you out... you run like cowards put your fingers in your ears and like a 5 year old child say "lalalalalalala I can't here you" ((Hits the ignore button)))

JESUS CHRIST PEOPLE GET A GRIP ON REALITY!!!!!!

*POP*

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