Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lived Experience topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents who navigated abuse-and-neglect cases: honest accounts and advice
Summary
Two people with direct experience describe different outcomes: one regained custody after following requirements and admissions of need to change; another lost custody after failing to comply. Both urge parents to work with counsel and the MDT.
One person who went through the process and eventually regained custody said admitting the need to change was the turning point. "I was really upset when this all began, but now that time has passed and my case is over... the first thing I had to do was admit I needed to make some changes in my life," the speaker said. They urged parents to listen to their attorney and the judge and to follow the ordered steps to increase the chance of reunification.
Another person recounted not taking the case seriously, not telling their attorney everything and failing to do the required work during the improvement period; as a result someone else is raising their child. That speaker advised: "If you want your child back, talk to your attorney. Be honest. Listen to what the people on the MDT team are telling you to do, and do it." The foster parent perspective in the transcript emphasizes that foster care is temporary and focused on child safety: "We only provide a temporary home for your child until you fix the issues that led to your child being taken from you."
