Foster child...family coming forward?

I asked a question earlier about our foster daughters situation. I only got one answer. I did however find out more info about the situation.

The grandparents have not appealed placement they have appealed the indicated report and are trying to have it expunged from their record. That hearing is not to occur until Feb.

They have contacted the advocacy office though. They are requesting more frequent visits (currently it is once a month). They also have stated there is a relative who want to take the child. the relative is a police chief so one would assume it would be a viable placement.

The caseworker told me she does not want to move the child and does not plan to explore this relative as an option unless she is forced to do so.

It seems to me as if the advocacy office will "force" her to follow up on this relative as a placement option.

I'm not saying we don't want to keep this child but I think it is a disservice to the child to ignore the option. Are they going to wait until we have her for 2 years and the relative come forward and make a difficult situation worse for this child.

I don't think the CW is being lazy. I think she truely believes the child should remain with us. I feel like she is cheating the child out of her family.

What do you guys think? I don't feel like I have the right to tell her how to do her job.

DO you agree that the advocacy office is going to press this issue (i'm assuming the family won't give up without a fight either?)
Additional Details
I understand it is ok to disagree with the worker. I actually used to be a foster care case worker which is party my reason for hesitation in making a suggestion. I don't want her to feel I am overstepping my boundaries or that we don't want to care for the child.

I am hoping the advocacy office will take care of it from here. I know they are involved, she read me the email they sent asking why the option had not been explored. She told them because the placement was an emergency. However, she has been with us 2 months which is sufficient time to follow up on this. From my experience the advocacy office is not just going to go away.

The brain

Another worker NOT doing their job.....
Surprise! It's the foster care system.

Sad, because perhaps this could be a stable person that is RELATED to this young child. How can the worker judge without even doing the study??????

Andraya

The worker is very much cheating this child out of her family, by refusing to look at the relative as a viable placement option. If the advocacy worker has their facts straight they should be pressing the issue, why take a child out of their natural family when there is a family member able and willing to care for the child. Your worker is either lazy indeed or a cruel person. And why would or should the family give up without a fight, this is THEIR flesh and blood, their kin. Obviously they are "getting" it even though it appears few others are.

sweetjane

Ugh. Your CW should follow up with every possible biological placement. Unfortuantely, by keeping the child with you....it only makes the situation MORE difficult for your family and the child. It is ok to disagree with your CW. If I were in your shoes, I would tell her how I felt and tell her that if this 'chief of police' is a viable option, then the child should be placed with that person.....not because you don't want her, but because you want what is best for her. I am sorry you are having to deal with this. I know your decision isn't an easy one to make.

Lori A

I have no idea how th system works, but it is a shame that the CW isn't willing to put forth the effort to keep this child with family. It's sad what we have turned into as a species.

Looney Tunes

Hey, I think I had that worker...overworked, underpaid, and doesn't give a ****.

Years go by and NOTHING changes. Welcome to Foster Care.

anastasia beaverhausen-the real1

if a relative is viable, that's where the child will go.

she may not "feel" like checking them out, but she is required to do so by law.

if she doesn't, then she should be fired for breaking that law, and for being highly unethical.

since you are dealing with a relative in law enforcement, are you sure you want to play roulette with this???

monkeykitty83

I think your case worker is absolutely doing the wrong thing by refusing to at least look into this potentially viable relative placement opportunity. The placement may turn out not to be workable, but there's no way to know that without at least checking it out. By failing to do that, your case worker is failing to do her job-- which should not be based on following her own personal preferences, but on the overall good of the child.

Hopefully the advocacy office will push the issue. If I were you, I would also raise the issue with the case worker's supervisor or department head if you have any way to contact them. (I find the best way to contact someone like that is just to phone the office and ask to speak to them, by name if you know it and by job title if you don't.) Since this is an issue of your case worker's job performance, her boss should know about it. The supervisor may not do anything either, but at least with that and the advocacy office, you're getting at the problem from both sides.

I'm sure you're a great foster parent, and the child is in a good place with you, but you're right that it's better for children to stay with relatives when possible, rather than being in foster care or placed for adoption to strangers. Your case worker should definitely check this potential placement out.

cmc

I assume the cw is busy and thinks your home is good for the child, so why change. However if the relative can provide a stable loving environment it makes sense, so I would suggest to the cw that she follow up.

â™¥â™¥Ritaâ™¥â™¥

The worker is remiss in not checking out the child's family. That connection should be preserved if it is possible. She sounds like she may have some biases she is not checking at the door!!

Why don't you call the advocacy office and speak your mind?? As a foster parent, are you allowed to be at court hearings or planning meetings for the child which includes parents, placement providers, workers, CASA, lawyers, etc.?? If so, then go and speak your mind. In my area, if a family member is not being explored, the judge will ream a new behind in workers. We have to justify with good reason why family was not used as a placement provider.....and that is so all the way through the case and if the child does not go home, then we still have to justify.

Lilac (6 weeks to go!)

I have new case workers all of the time. None of them really care about me or my brothers. Just my foster dads.

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