conservertorship of children

[klscrug]

Hi, my problem is with me having conservertorship of one of my friends children, the kids were being abused in the home and CPS was called in, the children were removed and separated, I was asked to take the kids, not knowing the whole situation and the extent of the abuse. When I found out what all was going on I have made it my mission to keep the kids away from these 2 nut jobs. Ten months after we started CPS was let out of the case, the parents signed conservatorship over to me, with a 6 mo. no visitation order and both were ordered to pay support ( they are separated ). It has been 8 months and neither one of them has paid a penny, nor bought presents for birthdays or Christmas and I havn't heard a word from the dad in 6 months and all the mom does is send text messages. The court order states that the only way anything can be changed is to go back to court and revise the order, so I don't have to let them visit, but my question is what chance do I have to get their rights terminated and be granted adoption rights if I hire a lawyer and take them to court? Thanks.

 

[Duranie]

Are the kids still wards of the state? Is there a case plan involved? If not then did CPS close the case and why? It seems to me you have a chance to adopt the kids, you need an attorney. I am a little confused as to why CPS would close the case. Generally they would move towards permancy planning since neither parent is cooperating.

 

[klscrug]

the children are no longer wards of the state, we went through case plans and all that stuff for 10 mo. and when it came down to terminating the rights the powers that be didn't want a fight so we agreed to conservertorship with support from the birth parents, they are actually only monetarily responsible for the kids, all other deciding factors are my choice and my responsibility. The birth parents have not paid 1 penny in support and the father hasn't even called or asked about them in 6 mo. now, the mom sent me a text around mothers day to see if she could see them, the case was closed in Oct. 2008 and the first time she contacted me was around valentines day, that was by text too, she has not spoken to me or even called to talk mouth to mouth. I was told the reason why CPS didn't fight for termination is because they didn't want to have to prove their case, it was easy to get the parents to sign conservertorship over to me instead of more drama and this way the monkey is on my back to prove them unfit and get their rights taken away, so I have to pay a lawyer, build a case, and then I can adopt them. I just want to know if I have a good case with them not paying support and the father should be up for abandonment by now, mom has been in a mental institute and is on meds which her grandma says is still not working.