UPDATE:
Court went very quickly this morning. We were out before lunch, which is a HUGE blessing, especially considering that Superior Court was in session as well (all public attorneys are required to fulfill Superior Court obligations before moving to Juvenile Court), and often that means we just sit and wait on attorneys.
Nothing new was set, although the Judge did acknowledge Luke and I being there and said something along the lines of "Yes, I see the foster parents. I recognized them and I am glad to see that they took the time to come today. Thank you, both."
That. Is. Huge. This Judge does not seem to love foster parents, DSS or anyone who is not family, so I was so thrilled to see that she "recognized" us (Although this is the 3rd time we've seen her for Baby Girl's case, so I would hope we'd spark some recognition with her).
Birth mom was not present so no anxiety about that, praise God. And, just about a month's worth of some loose ends before we proceed with fully terminating birth mom's rights and begin the adoption process. Our social worker seemed optimistic that adoption proceedings would begin within a couple months, and that our next court date of November 2nd would not be needed because everything would be final!
I can hardly wait! Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers! You all bless me so very much.
Original Post:
We head to the court house again today for a review hearing for Baby Girl. It's not anything that will change the case plan, just a simple review.
However, we WILL encounter the birth mother. This causes me a lot of anxiety, facing her mother, sitting near her and watching her actions as her daughter's case is discussed. Naturally, it is my prayer that her birth mother would just relinquish her rights. However, that doesn't seem to be an option in her mind.
There is a chance the the judge would order visitation for a family member (not the birth mother). If you feel led, please pray that the judge would rule with wisdom. I do not see how visits with a family member would be beneficial for Baby Girl, since her mother's rights will be terminated within a matter of months, and at that time ALL family visits would cease. But, this judge is known for siding with "birth families" for no good reason.
Thanks for your prayers and support.
Court went very quickly this morning. We were out before lunch, which is a HUGE blessing, especially considering that Superior Court was in session as well (all public attorneys are required to fulfill Superior Court obligations before moving to Juvenile Court), and often that means we just sit and wait on attorneys.
Nothing new was set, although the Judge did acknowledge Luke and I being there and said something along the lines of "Yes, I see the foster parents. I recognized them and I am glad to see that they took the time to come today. Thank you, both."
That. Is. Huge. This Judge does not seem to love foster parents, DSS or anyone who is not family, so I was so thrilled to see that she "recognized" us (Although this is the 3rd time we've seen her for Baby Girl's case, so I would hope we'd spark some recognition with her).
Birth mom was not present so no anxiety about that, praise God. And, just about a month's worth of some loose ends before we proceed with fully terminating birth mom's rights and begin the adoption process. Our social worker seemed optimistic that adoption proceedings would begin within a couple months, and that our next court date of November 2nd would not be needed because everything would be final!
I can hardly wait! Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers! You all bless me so very much.
Original Post:
We head to the court house again today for a review hearing for Baby Girl. It's not anything that will change the case plan, just a simple review.
However, we WILL encounter the birth mother. This causes me a lot of anxiety, facing her mother, sitting near her and watching her actions as her daughter's case is discussed. Naturally, it is my prayer that her birth mother would just relinquish her rights. However, that doesn't seem to be an option in her mind.
There is a chance the the judge would order visitation for a family member (not the birth mother). If you feel led, please pray that the judge would rule with wisdom. I do not see how visits with a family member would be beneficial for Baby Girl, since her mother's rights will be terminated within a matter of months, and at that time ALL family visits would cease. But, this judge is known for siding with "birth families" for no good reason.
Thanks for your prayers and support.