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Questions about OCS involvement
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?
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Re: Questions about OCS involvement
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.
Mother of two wonderful boys! Blessed through adoption.