Losing my heart
I don't know your whole back story but I do live in Georgia and know the termination process because I was a foster parent and I'm an adoptive parent. They can only terminate rights if you are the biological or adoptive parent. The notification process includes being served and publication in the newspaper. If the publication portion is skipped then that would automatically be grounds for an appeal. Now if this was a guardianship issue that doesn't have the same requirements. A parent can go to court pretty much anytime to revoke/rescind guardianship and they really don't have to prove anything. Serving you to be at court was basically a courtesy. The only way that I know that you can keep your guardianship intact is if the state/CPS was involved in initiating the guardianship.
My last foster child was involved in a relative guardianship issue. The mom had given legal guardianship to her Aunt but would play games dragging the child back and forth. The final straw was when she called the police claiming the Aunt kidnapped the baby. The Aunt showed the paperwork to the police and they said that the mom could take the child back anytime she wanted. He told her the next time the mom drops the baby off and disappears for a length of time to contact CPS. They will do an investigation to determine whether mom is unfit and if she is then most likely the baby will come back to her especially since she had been taking care of him all this time. The baby ended up going back to the Aunt and the mom couldn't play games any more with the guardianship. You will have to be very careful if you do this... it could burn the bridge you have with the bio mom.
I''ll be praying that Promise stays safe and returns to you.
on 5/21/09 5:38 am - syracuse, NY
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. ~Booker T. Washington~
I have never heard of such harsh practices in child welfare! I am a child welfare worker (cps) in california and it seems that someone skipped a beat. I'm new to this posting site, so I'm sure I'm missing parts of your story, but STILL!!! I am well versed in process and procedures in Cali, so if you have any questions feel free to let me know. I must say its the best foster parents in the world that the agencies loses, but whats worse is the loss to the children of a loving caring parent. Especially a child that seemed very attached to you and you were to them. I'm sorry for your loss and will keep your situation in prayer!
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