I am asking this out of my own curiosity about the situation with my husband's friends. I don't know all of the details, so I know there is no way that we could really know what might happen.
This couple (not yet married) has one child together, and then she has a couple kids from a previous relationship. Oldest is 12 or 13 I believe, next is 6 or 7, and youngest is 4 or 5. They were having financial problems when living here in Alabama, so they moved to where her mom is in South Carolina. All I know is that a couple years ago while they were there the guy wasn't at home, the oldest was at a friends house, and so the mom was at home by herself with the younger 2. She fell asleep on the couch, and one of the kids unlocked & opened the door, so then the 2 kids were playing outside by themselves (I do not know for how long). A neighbor reported it to child services, and all three children were removed from the home and put into foster care. :(
Now here we are 2 years later and they still do not have custody, have only been allowed visitation, and now I've been told that they are about to completely lose custody AND visitation. They are going to lose their kids forever.
Now, the oldest was old enough to choose to live with her biological dad. The younger two I guess will stay in foster until they are adopted out.
Now my general question is, is it possible for them to get their lives straightened out and then hire a lawyer to take South Carolina back to court to get these kids back??? I've been told that this is what they plan to do once they are more financially stable.
I know these people - and my husband knows them even better - and they are not abusive, don't do drugs, nor are they alcoholics. They did the best they could to take care of their kids. They aren't well off financially because neither one of them has a college degree, plus of course the economy is horrible for jobs. My husband even knows for a fact that the guy was going without food for a while because the kids got food first!
I feel awful for these friends and I wish there was something I could do to help them! Mainly I just want to know if it's possible for them to ever get the kids back.
Also, I suspect there is far more to the story than is public knowledge.
S.,
Going on just what you've stated, sounds to me like the State has gone a little overboard ,..., then again in all fairness, there may be more to the story than someone is telling. It is a long drawn out process to loose your parental rights, unless there is unquestionable ,evident proof that the parent(s) are unfit. Usually it involves many trips to court, the parents attending parenting classes (whether they needed to or not) , and so on.
If the parents truly are good parents and that was a one time incident (those things happen ,however innocent, to most of us at one time or another without posing danger to a child(ren)). by all means ,they should get an attorney, and may find one to work on it pro- bono (for free). If I were the parents I'd surely be asking alot of questions and fast,.... They can get their kids back (in most states) but they'd have to jump thru alot of hoops to do it and it is a drawn out process too. Wish them the best for their children, C. S.
Absolutely has to be more to the story. These people must be hiding something. That doesn't even make sense that they would be taken away just for playing outside.
It is not easy to have your children taken away from you by protective services. The state generally does everything they can to keep a family together, even if it's not in the best interest of the child. You must not know the whole story. Poor little guys :(
