Need advice from those that know about DOCS or foster care

[Loopy Linda]

Hi my sil is in a bad situation and had children removed from her care. DOCS had been involved for months trying to help her and all along she told them there was no family to help, support or that would want kids. then when it came to it and they were taking kids she gave them my number.

unfortunately i was at work when the call came and now it is the long weekend. the case worker will call me tuesday morning and it goes to court tuesday afternoon.

there is 6 kids invlved and i have 3 of my own. Dad isn't able to take the kids ( gaol) but i will have support of mother and father. i have never had any problems with the care of my own kids and i have a large support network ( would have been available to sil if she wasn't such a cow)

what are my chances of the kids staying with me? dad will be in gaol for another 2 yrs and i have no idea how long they are asking for kids to be removed for.

i spoke to head of the DOCS office that removed the kids and if mother had of shared my details sooner kids wouldn't have been placed in a foster home.

can anyone give me a list of questions to ask on tuesday morning? i have never had any experience with this. i want to be at the court hearing, is that ok?

i am making my home extra clean this weekend, and i have a bed for every child, but I will be in a mattress on lounge floor and it is only a 3 bed house.

so far i have to ask the case worker if i can attend court, if i can have kids, and also if kids have been split up or are all together. any other suggestions? oh and alos how long are the asking the kids be removed for.

i love my nieces and nephews and at the moment am really annoyed at the sil for not giving them my details and me being involved earlier so maybe i could prevented them being with a stranger right now.

any advice or suggestions and even your own thoughts welcome.

[sam's mum]

how long they think it will be for (it can be subject to change).

what monetary assistance you will receive. (this isn't being mercenary, you will need financial help with that many extra kids) Centrelink doesn't pay for the first 30 days that the kids are in your care, so if you need to have them in day care or after school care, you need to ask for extra funding to cover this for the first month.

what counselling support the kids will have.

what access the mum is going to have to the kids. (this is probably also going to change as time goes on)

what meetings and so on they are going to expect you to attend and the amount of time this is going to take up on a weekly basis.

what support worker they are going to provide you with.

find out what kind of order it is, this can impact on the kinds of decisions that you can make for the children. eg signing excursion forms for school, medical appointments, hair cuts.

[MamaKoala]

I don't have any advice but wanted to say how great you are for being so selfless and raising your hand for 6 kids on top of your own 3. I hope that SIL straightens up her act so that the kids can be returned but in the meantime I hope you get them and give them an experience that the way they were living is not the norm and they can be in a stable environment with someone who will be there for them.:goodvibes:Good luck for Tuesday!

[Loopy Linda]

sams mum thanks for all those tips. definitely more things to think about.

mk thanks, but there is no other family, and i do love them.

[Veritas]

Good luck Linda.... :hugs:

As a family member that is putting your hand up, it is very likely that you will be given care of the children, if they feel you are able to handle it.... which by the sounds of it, you are def able to demonstrate....

Sam's mum has given you some great tips....

The length of time they would be with you would be dependent on the order determined by the courts, and whether or not they feel it fit to rehabilitate the mother and eventually return the children to her care....

You sound like a wonderful lady, and I really wish you all the best! Your neices and nephews are lucky to have someone like you looking out for them...