Fostering - Girls' mom is now pregnant

[chele]

Does anyone know what happens with reunification? I don't know who to ask about this situation. Caseworker doesn't know about the pregnancy yet so I can't ask him.

[jwill]

You have a foster child and the child's mother is now pregnant? Are you asking if the baby will be taken into care as well?

Just trying to make sure I understand what you are asking before I respond with our experience :-)

[chele]

Actually I was wondering if the pregnancy, which is only about 4 weeks along, would affect whether or not the girls I'm caring for get to go home in April, which is the target reunification schedule.

Someone who is in social work, but not the Department of Children and Families, said the state could keep the girls from coming home out of concern that the mom wouldn't be able to handle these changes well.

Now, since I posted this, I spoke to another foster mom I am friends with and she said in her experience, the baby would be a separate case and would not affect the girls going home this spring.

[theholmanherd]

Mar 8, 2015 12:33:43 GMT -5 chele said:

Actually I was wondering if the pregnancy, which is only about 4 weeks along, would affect whether or not the girls I'm caring for get to go home in April, which is the target reunification schedule.

Someone who is in social work, but not the Department of Children and Families, said the state could keep the girls from coming home out of concern that the mom wouldn't be able to handle these changes well.

Now, since I posted this, I spoke to another foster mom I am friends with and she said in her experience, the baby would be a separate case and would not affect the girls going home this spring.

Are you hoping for reunification? Does the mom have her ish together, and that's why they are going to attempt reunification? I don't have first hand experience, but depending on what she did to lose the kids, she may lose the baby when its born, as well. My ex's cousin was a hardcore drug abuser and she just kept having babies and the state just kept taking them away. In her case, there were family members caring for the kids so they could stay together, but obviously that's not the case for you or the kids wouldn't be with you. Again, I don't know the details, so I don't know how much help I can be. I have a lot of secondhand experience with fostering, though, so I'll help you however I can.

[jwill]

I think that would be a case by case basis but I know they do normally handle them as completely separate cases.at least where I am. May be dependant on why they were taken too...how big of a mental health component was involved.

Our foster son has a brother that was born while he was in care and he was also placed in foster care but that was not a given. Just because he tested positive. They have filed to terminate rights on Our fs but not his brother Since he has not been in the system as long...

My bet is that as long as mom is otherwise ready for reunification, plans would stay the same. Good luck!

[chele]

Mar 8, 2015 14:02:22 GMT -5 theholmanherd said:

Mar 8, 2015 12:33:43 GMT -5 chele said:

Actually I was wondering if the pregnancy, which is only about 4 weeks along, would affect whether or not the girls I'm caring for get to go home in April, which is the target reunification schedule.

Someone who is in social work, but not the Department of Children and Families, said the state could keep the girls from coming home out of concern that the mom wouldn't be able to handle these changes well.

Now, since I posted this, I spoke to another foster mom I am friends with and she said in her experience, the baby would be a separate case and would not affect the girls going home this spring.

Are you hoping for reunification? Does the mom have her ish together, and that's why they are going to attempt reunification? I don't have first hand experience, but depending on what she did to lose the kids, she may lose the baby when its born, as well. My ex's cousin was a hardcore drug abuser and she just kept having babies and the state just kept taking them away. In her case, there were family members caring for the kids so they could stay together, but obviously that's not the case for you or the kids wouldn't be with you. Again, I don't know the details, so I don't know how much help I can be. I have a lot of secondhand experience with fostering, though, so I'll help you however I can.

We believe reunification is the right avenue to go down based on what we know. She's in a mental health program daily and has had her meds adjusted. The other issues was the number of absences her oldest daughter had from school. She also now has a boyfriend in her life who is stable and has a steady job. 

I'm wondering if this would delay reunification. If someone hadn't told me it was a possibility it never would have crossed my mind.

[chele]

Mar 8, 2015 19:53:28 GMT -5 jwill said:

I think that would be a case by case basis but I know they do normally handle them as completely separate cases.at least where I am. May be dependant on why they were taken too...how big of a mental health component was involved.

Our foster son has a brother that was born while he was in care and he was also placed in foster care but that was not a given. Just because he tested positive. They have filed to terminate rights on Our fs but not his brother Since he has not been in the system as long...

My bet is that as long as mom is otherwise ready for reunification, plans would stay the same. Good luck!
        

[chele]

jwill, thanks for your insight. This isn't an egregious case comparatively speaking, so that's why I think they should be reunited.

[theholmanherd]

Well it sounds like she's gotten more stable, so this new baby won't impact that right now. Social services will probably keep an eye on her before and after the baby is born to be sure. Good luck!

[stephy129]

I agree it would be a case by case basis. With our last placement the mom got preganat while the child was with us and reunification went on as planned. The pregnancy wasn't even a part of the discussion.