…must be Thursday!
It’s Thursday in a week full of Mondays…
…must be Thursday!
Birds Nest Custody.
Courts usually grant custody to one parent or the other and the non-custodial parent exercises his time at places and locations he sees fit…
However, sometimes the Court needs an unusual solution to an unusual problem.
Consider the Birds Nest custody arrangement.
In a birds nest, the children stay in the “nest” aka the marital home and mom and dad take turns coming and going from the home.
During mom’s time she has custody to the children and the home, to the exclusion of dad.
During dad’s time he has exclusive custody of the kids and home and mom is excluded.
This is a good solution when the child has a unique need and having that structure of home base is in their best interest.
It’s also a viable solution when use of the home is needed by a party for work as the “home office” or tools of the trade are kept on the property.
This is not an often used remedy as it requires potentially 3 temporary residences, but can be an effective tool in the tool belt of solutions in limited circumstances.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney and recommends the birds nest in unique cases.
Foster Parent Bill of Rights – 5th installment
Taking the 5th, but not like in the Constitution…#5 in a series on Mississippi’s Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights.
(p) Support from the family protection worker or the family protection specialist in efforts to do a better day-to-day job in caring for the child and in working to achieve the agency’s objectives for the child and the birth family through provision of:
Read this as help, info and cooperation from the social worker/investigator.
(i) A copy of the “Foster Child Information Form” and all other pertinent information about the child and the birth family, including medical, dental, behavioral health history, psychological information, educational status, cultural and family background, and other issues relevant to the child which are known to the department at the time the child is placed in foster care prior to the child’s placement with a foster parent or parents. The department shall make reasonable efforts to gather and provide all additional current medical, dental, behavioral, educational and psychological information reasonably available from the child’s service providers within fifteen (15) days of placement. When the department learns of such information after fifteen (15) days of placement, the department shall communicate such information to the foster parent as soon as practicable;
This is the Right to be informed about your foster child; the good, the bad and the important.
(ii) An explanation of the plan for placement of the child in the foster parent’s home and the ongoing and timely communication of any necessary information which is relevant to the care of the child, including any changes in the case plan;
This includes the right to know what the permanent plan and concurrent plan for custody/placement are. You have the right to timely updates about any changes in this plan. Interestingly, one placement ends the foster parent does not have the right to know where the child is.
(iii) Help in using appropriate resources to meet the child’s needs, including counseling or other services for victims of commercial sexual exploitation or human trafficking;
Counseling services will be made available if deemed necessary. While you will be privy to confidential information regarding this, you must maintain that confidentiality.
(iv) Direct interviews between the family protection worker or specialist and the child, previously discussed and understood by the foster parents;
You can learn about the info exchanged in in-person interviews between the child and the agency.
(v) Information regarding whether the child experienced commercial sexual exploitation or human trafficking;
You will be provided information if applicable, but also asked to hold this in strict confidence.
(vi) Information related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Foster parents shall protect the confidentiality of the child by working directly with a designated school official to complete the application for free lunches.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 authorized funding for federal school meal and child nutrition programs and increased access to healthy food for low-income children. The bill that reauthorized these programs is often referred to by shorthand as the child nutrition reauthorization bill.
Matthew Thompson and Chad King are child welfare attorneys in the State of Mississippi. They have represented natural parents, foster parents, grandparents, other relatives, fictive kin, children and the Agency (CPS) throughout their decades of practice. (NOT all at the same time).
What can the Judge Order you to do in a Divorce/Custody Case?
Getting divorced allows the Government into your life!
Getting divorced happens. It can be relatively easy or it can be one of the most difficult times of your life. However, the impact can also last a lot longer than the few months or the few years of the litigation.
The Court has the authority to make you pay child support. And in Mississippi, that can last until the child turns 21. The age is NOT 18 and it cannot be, even by agreement.
Additionally, the Court could make you pay for college, even beyond age 21.
The Court can make you pay for health insurance and non-covered medical expenses, like co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, and all out-of-pocket expenses.
The Court can make you pay for extracurricular activities; sports, dance, cheer and scouts. The Court can make you pay for daycare, after care, summer care and school expenses.
Cars, cell phones and private school expenses are usually not Ordered but under certain circumstances the Court could.
The Court can obligate you to hundreds and even thousands of dollars $$ per month that are to be paid or you might even go to JAIL!!
Interestingly, we really don’t contemplate any of these potential obligations when we get married…
Matthew Thompson is a child custody and child support attorney in Mississippi.
Children Eligible for ADOPTION NOW!
Adoption is a legal process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person’s biological or legal parents. This permanently transfer all rights, obligations and responsibilities, along with filiation, from the biological parents to the adoptive parents.
Numerous Mississippi children are eligible for adoption right NOW. The Mississippi Dept. of Child Protection Services maintains a list of children legally free for adoption in its Heart Gallery.
Children of all ages, races, backgrounds and situations are eligible for adoption. Some of the children have special educational, emotional, or medical needs. While this information is confidential and does not appear in the children’s descriptions, it will be provided to qualified adoptive placements well prior to any adoption finalization. More detailed information about the child will be shared with interested families as they continue the matching process.
If you are interested in a child featured on the Mississippi Heart Gallery, you may request additional information and inquire about the availability of the child by clicking the child’s bio and completing the inquiry form, emailing the Adoptions Team, or calling the Heart Gallery hotline at (601) 359-4133.
This inquiry will be forwarded to the child’s worker for review and consideration based on the unique needs of the child.
A child eligible from the Heart Gallery could be adopted as soon as a proper match and good fit is established.
Matthew Thompson and Chad King are child welfare and adoption attorneys in the State of Mississippi. They have been a part of hundreds of adoptions in Mississippi throughout the State.
Hello? Why are you “ignoring” me?
…we’re not…
Why I didn’t text you back:
○ I was asleep
○ I was driving
○ I was ghosting you
● I saw your text and told myself that I was going to respond, but I wanted to finish what I was doing first… After that, I got side-tracked and went to do something else and completely forgot your text even existed because I was doing ten thousand things at once until I went to text you days or even weeks later about something completely different.
Right or wrong, it happens!
Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights – FPBOR – Take 4
May the 4th be with you. The Fourth installment of Foster Parent info regarding the MS Foster Parent Bill of Rights…
(l) Involvement in all the agency’s crucial decisions regarding the child as team members who have pertinent information based on their day-to-day knowledge of the child in care and involvement in planning, including, but not limited to, individual service planning meetings, foster care review, individual educational planning meetings, and medical appointments;
The foster parent has the right to “be involved” in decisions as a “team member” that has pertinent information. This involvement includes that you may share your opinion…however, it does not go so far as to veto any decision made by the Court or CPS. The above is a paragraph loaded with buzz words, but provides little meat regarding actual decision making.
(m) The opportunity to participate in the planning of visitations between the child and the child’s siblings, parents or former guardians or other biological family members which have been previously authorized by the youth court. Visitations shall be scheduled at a time and place meeting the needs of the child, the biological family, and the foster family.
The foster parent has the right to “participate in planning” visitations. This is not the right to deny or refuse visitations. This is not the right to alter, amend or change the Court-ordered visitation. This is the right to let CPS or the Court know that Wednesday nights, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm isn’t a convenient time for a visit as you are obligated to cook chicken tenders at church. Otherwise, as a foster parent, you are obligated to cooperate with visitation, even if you disagree with the idea and even if the child does not want to go. The child does not “drive the boat.”
Recognizing that visitation with family members is an important right of children in foster care, foster parents shall be flexible and cooperative with regard to family visits but shall retain the right to reasonable advance notice of all scheduled visitations;
Last minute changes or unplanned visits may not work, however, as a foster parent you have agreed to try and make it happen. Please do. The fastest way to no longer be a foster parent is interfere with visits, aka the permanent plan of reunification.
(n) The ability to communicate with department personnel or representatives twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, for the purpose of aiding the foster parent;
Again, this is really the ability to provide info or request a call back. You may not get a call back at midnight. Also, if you are providing information for the worker to know/consider, you may not get a text confirmation…
(o) A comprehensive list of all resources available to the foster parent and child, including dental providers, medical providers, respite workers in the area, day cares, and methods for submitting reimbursements;
This means you may be provided a list of providers if its determined that those services are necessary. IF they are not deemed necessary you may not get a list. If these services are deemed necessary it is the foster parent’s responsibility to see that arrangements are made for the child to use these services, with assistance of the agency.
Matthew Thompson and Chad King are child welfare attorneys in the State of Mississippi. They have represented natural parents, foster parents, grandparents, other relatives, fictive kin, children and the Agency (CPS) throughout their decades of practice. (NOT all at the same time).
Foster Parent Training – Continuing Education
It’s not just putting on band aids and darning socks…
Ongoing Training Requirements.
All licensed Foster Parents are required to receive ten (10) hours of ongoing annual training, five (5) of which must be in a classroom setting.
The Licensure Specialist shall ensure that the Foster Parents on their caseload are notified of the availability of home-based and online training opportunities, as well as dates, times, and locations of classroom-based classes.
Approved Ongoing Training.
Foster parents are permitted to receive training, with approval of the Licensure Specialist, through participation in the following: training sessions, seminars, workshops, or conferences specifically dealing with children or parenting issues that have been approved by the National Association of Social Workers, Mississippi Chapter or the Child Welfare Training Institute (CWTI);
- Training provided by a MDCPS Licensure or Adoption Specialist; and
- Individual training sessions conducted as part of a home visit.
The Licensure Specialist has the authority to approve other training events. Foster parents who wish to participate in any other training event must get permission from the Licensure Specialist/ASWS prior to registering for and attending the training event. - Each ongoing training should impart new skills or knowledge necessary to care for the children in the foster parent’s home. The foster parent cannot seek training on the same subject unless new and updated material is being presented.
Proof of Training.
Foster Parents are required to provide a certificate and agenda or other proof of completion to the Licensure Specialist within three (3) months of the training. The Licensure Specialist must place documentation of completion of ongoing training hours in the paper file and in MACWIS. - Carryover Hours.
Foster Parents who exceed the required number of ongoing training hours may roll over up to three (3) training hours to the next year. The Licensure Specialist must document the total number of hours completed and indicate in the paper file and in MACWIS that the family is eligible to roll hours over to the next year.
Authority: Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services
Matthew Thompson and Chad King are child welfare attorneys in the State of Mississippi. They have represented natural parents, foster parents, grandparents, other relatives, fictive kin, children and the Agency (CPS) throughout their decades of practice. (NOT all at the same time).
(601) 850-8000 - - BowTieLawyer.MS 