Questions about OCS involvement

klandry80

Ok so i updated about MaKenna being born and is in the NICU experiencing withdrawls from R's prescribed meds and marijuana. As of now thats the only drugs we know of in her system from the urine drug screen, waiting on the meconium drug screen to come back which could take a week they said. She is doing great actually feeding from the bottle now. The question I have is that R signed the paperwork that the hospital needed to have the baby discharged to us when she is able. This morning on our way to the hospital I received a phone call from OCS in the parish that MaKenna was born saying that they were taking custody of her pending a hearing with us our lawyer ocs and the birth parents. Our lawyer told me not to worry but I feeling like everything is falling apart. All because our homestudy wasnt completed yet (the social worker was in a bad car accident around christmas and has been out since then doing therapy and rehab). All that the homestudy is waiting on is our reference letters and i think she said a couple of other things but nothing major. Apparently when we go to this hearing we have to plead our case as to the reason the homestudy isnt done and so on.Or the lawyer does. Then ocs. Our lawyer is saying that this is procedure and most of the time the judge rules in favor or the PAP's and does an approval for placement based on the current findings and pending the completion of the homestudy and all. Has anyone here had any experience with this? I trust our lawyer but I am scared to death that something is going to go wrong and she isnt going to be able to come home with us. We cant even see her in the NICU or call to check on her until the judge rules at the hearing. Will the fact that the birth parents want her placed with us and the fact that we have been there from day one with them and in the NICU daily with MaKenna have any type of impact in our favor?

IRR

I am sure it will be fine but I would be furious if I could not see my DD while she is in the NICU.  Is there a way around that?  Aren't patients allowed visitors even if a nurse needs to stay with you?  Keeping you and baby in my T&P.

maryoosa

What a scary situation to have to face. Hope everything goes ok.

klandry80

We have asked a million different people about that. But ocs has said that nobody can see her. Not even birthmom, although we knew that she wouldnt go because she left the hospital after delivery and went home and got so high that she slept for almost 2 days. I talked to her a little bit last night and her and the birth father are both on board with still signing the adoption papers. Hopefully I will hear something about the hearing this morning. Its going to be a long weekend not being able to check on her.

irismorning

I am so sorry! This seems to be a mess. My situation was different, but I had custody of my two boys for 2 years before I could pursue adoption. The biological parents placed them in my care and signed custody over to me when the boys first moved into my home. My first lawyer went to court with the documentation and made it a legal placement. (Although I found out later that we should have also gotten guardianship and I could have adopted 1 1/2 years earlier- I got another lawyer for the adoption as a result.)

I did not even know about homestudies until I went for adoption (2 years later). At least in this state, I did not need to have a home study to have custody of my boys. Hopefully, it can also work that way in your situation.

GulfCoaster

Sent you a PM.

klandry80

replied :-)