DCFS

The new DCFS worker for the girls called and wanted to talk about our relationship with Kylie and Brie. I made an appointment to talk face to face and Don and I met with the old and new worker at the DCFS building on Thursday. They wanted to know if we were interested in fostering and adopting the girls. The short answer to that question is no.

This question was asked because they were trying to decide where the girls should be placed. Sabrina has had the girls for 3 weeks and has struggled, both financially and emotionally. She loves the girls and wants to take care of them and raise them but she feels a huge amount of justifiable resentment to their parents. And, going from one child to three is very overwhelming. The girl’s caseworker called her and asked her if she was willing to adopt the girls if the parental rights were terminated. She felt like they were pushing her for an answer and said no. The worker then said they would place the girls in a foster to adopt home. Sabrina was devastated by this response and cried for two days. I was freaked out and spent hours sorting through two and a half years of pictures of the kids hoping who ever the girls went to live with would want them. And I kept thinking about Sean. If the girls went to live with a foster family would Sean not ever get to see them again? Sean loves his sisters and they love him.

Sabrina and I talked a lot about the girls and her family. Money is one aspect but lots of families are poor. I’m more concerned about her relationship with her nuclear family than her ability to support them financially. The girls are so happy with her. They are in school, they are clean, they eat, and they take dance classes. Brie is talking and laughing! She has not had any stomachaches. They don’t even ask about their parents. The question is does she have the emotional and physical energy to raise the girls because I know I don’t! In the end Sabrina decided she wants to go for it. She is looking at possibly keeping the girls long term. There is still the HUGE obstacle of the parents. They are already making life hard for Sabrina. She is expected to drive 30 miles to take the girls to meet with their dad. Their dad doesn’t want to give any money to support the girls. When Sabrina told him the state said he would have to pay her child support he said, “we will see about that, I will talk to the case worker.” I’m sure his not feeling any moral responsibility to support his children financially will endear him to DCFS as well.

Back to our meeting with the caseworkers. We told them we were not interested in adopting the girls and told the new caseworker that before they placed the girls in a foster home they should contact the Jensen’s. Then we talked about Don and my big concern, what about Sean? They said they had already talked to the attorney general about Sean and that he lived with us. They said if/when the parental rights are terminated for the girls they will petition to have their rights to Sean terminated at the same time and then we could adopt! This was a huge relief. And I see the girls either with Sabrina or the Jensen's for the long term so Sean will still have his sisters and I will have my "grandkids."