Shortest Permanency Hearing EVER
1:25 -- phone call from state social worker. "You live close to the court house, right?" "Yes." "Well, Gary's hearing is in five minutes, can you get him here?"
I change into long pants, grab my MP3 player and sudoku book as I know I need to be ready for a long wait.
1:45 -- Gary, girlfriend and I show up in the hallway and are immediately ushered into courtroom by social worker.
Transcript (from memory).
Judge: "Hearing case ######. Does anybody have anything they want to say?"
State attorney: "Yes your honor. For the record, we sent a letter to [Gary's father] at x address on ##. I understand that he is a long haul trucker often out of town, but we believe we exercised due diligence."
Judge: "Anything else?"
Gary: "Yes. I just wanted to say that my dad doesn't drive trucks anymore. He is a contractor and works in [place name]."
Judge: "I thought that was so. You look like you are doing okay."
Gary: "Yes, sir."
Judge: "Do you need anything I can help you with?"
Gary: "No sir."
Judge: "Does anyone else have anything they would like to say?"
silence
Judge: "Okay. The court finds that the department exercised due diligence."
And then I knew it was over because the social worker and lawyers stood up and started to leave. The judge remained seated and appeared to be opening the file for the next case.
What does that even mean?? Due diligence? What was that about? What was decided? Court legal speak baffles me.
ReplyDeleteI might have the words wrong, I actually struggled to remember if that was what was said. What was MEANT was that the county had worked hard enough to let Gary's father know about this hearing and it wasn't their fault that he wasn't there. So that was what was decided, except that the permanency plan as written was approved. There didn't seem to be any official statement regarding the permanency plan though. I found that odd.
ReplyDeleteI think you summed it up right, the state worked showed "due dillegence" to contact the birth father meaning she did everything within the letter of the law.
ReplyDeleteI've been a foster parent in Wisconsin for about ten years. We adopted one sibling pair and are just adopting our second sibling pair. I, too, would need a private blog if I ever discussed any of it outside of your comment squares. I found you through Half-Past ...
I enjoyed your place. I'll try to remember my way out of here and then be sure to come back again ;)
And I sincerely applaud you for what you do. Being able to love other peoples children is a gift that should never be taken for granted, but you knew that already.
Very short. How does Gary feel about it?
ReplyDeleteWho do you think you our kidding most foster parents work with the currupted CPS network in kidnapping children it's all about money .Wait to you deal with the darkside of the CPS unless you are part of them it all about money people like you most likely warehouse children for a state check because they don't want to get off their fat butts and get a real job but you being in wisconsin it's mostly also been a welfare state anyway and lazy people like you sit around and take the money but soon their will be big cuts in the Dept of HR bugets lets just see how many good doers are out their when the money stops you people get me sick Gio Texas
ReplyDeleteDo not feed the trolls.
ReplyDelete