What is the process for removing children from their parents and placing them into foster care?
I've read a few Q&A recently on the apprehension of children into foster care. I'm curious about the process in different areas, and what the wider public's understanding of this process is.
What is your understanding of the way the system works in dealing with families where neglect/abuse is present in your part of the world?
2010-08-11T01:20:59Z
Specifically, what protocols are worked through before a child is apprehended?
Big Daddy R2010-08-11T08:34:25Z
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Once a call is made the worker goes to the home and sees if the call had any merit. Then if it did if the child appears to be in danger. Abuse and signs of abuse the child is immediately removed taken the ER then the process of finding a foster home. They call open families give the specifics age how many children reason for being removed etc and the foster family says if they can or can't take the child or children. This goes on until a home is found for all of them. If it is more of an issues like the family is poor and it is not the best living conditions like no food etc. It varies by the worker. It is up to the workers discretion. A worker can try local resources food banks etc to help them and keep the child in the house. Make surprise visits over period of months to make sure that they keep food in the home and clothing for the children etc. Some workers especially if the call is later in the day will just go ahead and remove the child and place them. All parents who have a child removed get a case plan to improve what ever the reason the child was taken. Usually something like find a job get appropriate housing go to parenting classes etc it is tailored to the offense and the parent
If the plan is not completed in or significant progress done on 18 months they start going for PC, permanent custody, and remove the parents rights and then they try to find an adoptive home for the child. If none is found they stay in foster care until 18 or 21 if they go into life skills course then cut loose
I work for the child protection agency here in Delaware. We have a toll free hotline. Anyone can call to make a report of child abuse/neglect. We get calls from hospitals, teachers, relative, babysitters and anonymous calls. We look at the report and determine if the child is at risk of being abuse or is in danger. If they are in immediate danger, we have to go out and investigate within 24 hours. If they aren't in immediate danger, we have 10 days to respond. When we go out, we talk to the child and all of the household members. Most of the time, the children can be kept safe in their home. When their safety is not guaranteed, we ask the parents for any suggestions of family/friends that could care for their children. If they have no one, the child/children enter foster care.
I hope that was clear. Our goal always is reunification with their parents. We do not like to put children into foster care because it's traumatic for them however, we need to ensure that children are kept safe.
I've just recently been in this situation... sort of.
A little context, so that this will make sense: I'm currently seventeen (eighteen in a few weeks) and in Australia.
I wasn't put into foster care, so to speak. My boyfriend overheard some of the abuse while we were on the phone, and he called Lifeline. They told him that I needed to be taken away from that situation and offered him help and support if he needed it. The next day, my boyfriend's mom drove to my house, picked me up, and took me back to her place, where I've been staying for the past eight months. We've alerted the Department of Child Safety, the police, and Centrelink (part of the government).
At the moment, the Department of Child Safety is in contact with my younger siblings' schools, to make sure that they're okay. I worry about those guys :( If the Department is alerted of my siblings showing up to school covered in bruises or something, they'll take my siblings out of my parents' house and possibly send them to live with our Godparents, if this is deemed safe. If it isn't (because my father could follow them or something similar), my siblings might be 'adopted' by the government and put into foster care until I can provide for them.
I'm not sure if this has answered your question, but I hope it's helped at least a little :)