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Sunami
May 23rd, 2009, 06:05 PM
Can anyone provide any advise on our situation? We have a 10 month old little girl in foster care picked up from the hospital after she was born. The mother was drug addicted and so was the baby, hence the placement. The bio grandmother was approached for placement and she said that she was unable to be a parent at this time but wanted to be a grandparent. We met her and told her that we were certainly agreeable to that and she noted that we would adopt her. We had the court hearing after 9 months and the daughter had done none of her required actions to take over custody and they said if she didn't do this that they would proceed to process permanancy plan and adoption at the next court date. The grandmother was at court and confirmed to the judge(master) that she was not a resource. A week later she filed for custody. Social services determined that she is a better placement since she is a biological relative. We have talked to attorneys that said that this is not necessarily the case that after a certain period of bonding we are considered equal. This is all in Maryland. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thoughts? resources to fight this?

Thanks
dachshunds4you
May 25th, 2009, 01:03 PM
It might be expensive, but your best bet would be to hire an attorney. It doesn't sound like DSS will help you keep her.
Most times biological family does overrule foster parents, but you might have something on your side by her having previously continued to say no and that you have had her for 10 months.

I would suggest you seek legal advice from someone with experiencing in this area.

Hope everything works out!
Usgov
April 15th, 2011, 12:45 PM
MD DHR is a mess and is currently under federal investigation for discrimination in it's foster placements, Adoption subsidies are not guaranteed and many states are reducing or eliminating them all together. States would rather have children with biological relatives than financially motivated foster parents.
BlessedMama
May 30th, 2011, 11:30 AM
The same thing happened with us. We had a baby for 7 1/2 months straight out of the hospital, no relative visits, both parents terminated. A great aunt came forward who was previously ruled out and they came the next week and took our baby girl away. We were scheduled to adopt her in September, they took her at the end of July.