Location: Illinois
We used to foster a little boy, now 6, for about 2.5 years, last time we had him DCFS delegate foster agency asked for termination, but the judge gave mom another chance cause she got clean in prison and did her “services”. She got full custody back around the first of the year but court and agency didn’t do any “after care” meaning checking up on mom.
About a month ago she gets arrested again for drugs, meth and pills, but the kid was visiting us so DCFS was never contacted and we don’t know if they have any idea or would even care since he wasn’t there at the time of the arrest.
Court is coming up next week and we don’t think she has a plan for the kid, her sister won’t take him and we’re the only other ones that ever would but she hasn’t reached out to us. We’re finally on good enough terms with mom that we get to have visits with him so we are reluctant to contact DCFS ourselves as we dint want it to get back to mom and legit don’t think they care, case closed was more important than his well being before, etc….
She will most likely be found guilty so my questions are:
- will the judge give her a bench warrant and some time to find care before her sentence if found guilty, she is a repeat offender many times
- will the court do anything to confirm the safety of the child or if mom just says “So and so is taking care of him while I’ll be away” will that be the end of it
From what I’ve read DCFS is only going to get re-involved if she tells the court she’s got no one to take care of him, and we doubt that will happen.
We’ve talked to a couple lawyers in the past to try to stop him from going back but we’re basically told “foster parent have little to no rights and what the judge says goes”.
Many thanks in advance.