As strange as it may sound, even foster children are given goals in the reunification plan. The foster children, like their parents, are expected to make progress towards their assigned goals. Their progress is reviewed every 90 days by the court at the review hearings. The goals for the children vary depending on their ages, developmental levels, and needs. It is up to the foster parents and caseworkers involved in the case to assist foster children in achieving most of their assigned goals. This is because most foster children do not have a car or a driver’s... more

If you have provided foster care for children then you already know that every 90 days the case progress has to be reviewed by the court. If the children remain in care for 12 months then the case progresses to permanency planning status, for the children’s long-term goals. This is because regular foster care is meant to be a short-term answer to family crisis. Many studies have proven that children, who just age out of foster care without either being adopted or returned home, do not fare well in adult society. The courts, in their wisdom, have concluded that within 12 months a family... more

Termination of parental rights (TPR) is where the parents involuntarily lose their parental rights. This is something that does not happen overnight. The parents (in most areas) are given around a year to work their service plan to regain custody of their children. If the parents are “somewhat” working their plan they can been given extensions.

If the parents are not working the plan then a TPR trial will be scheduled. Some courts and states go with mediation before the TPR court date. It can be a benefit in a number of ways, it can save a lengthy and costly trial, and it can also allow the birth parents... more

As foster parents, you are the ones that know the child best and can provide information and insight on the foster child. It is so easy for the system just to view this child as just another case and not see them as child with a face.

Foster parents are supposed to be notified about hearings and court appointments concerning the foster children in their care in a timely manner. Timely manner can be very subjective to people. Honestly, I have not received a lot of notice from caseworkers in this area. Two or three days notice is mostly the notice I receive (occasionally the day before or day of) about hearings or court appointments. This raises a huge problem for some foster parents,... more

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Caseworkers have the paperwork to tell them how the child is doing, etc. but mostly they see the child once a month, if that. So, can they really be the ones to allow the judge to see the child as really a child and not a faceless case.

Foster parents may be reluctant to attend and become involved in court hearings for their foster children. Maybe they do not know what to except, they do not understand or believe what they have to say will make a difference. This can come from the system and caseworkers discouraging foster parents from getting involved... more

With the new law passed, Safe and Timely Placement of Foster Children of 2006 P.L. 109-239, it is strengthening the place of a foster parent in court. Some states are still in the process of passing legislation to implement these new requirements.

Judges that have been interviewed about foster parents becoming more involved in the court process of the child that are in their care, want to hear from the foster parents. They believe that foster parents can add a great deal of insight where the foster child is concerned. This so allows the judge to get a true sense of the child from someone that loves them. It can also be helpful for a judge to know that a foster parent would be interested... more