I just can't believe believe how hard it is to get a child out of foster care. I thought foster care was for children who had no families other than their abusive drug addict parents. Now I know that foster care is full of kids with extended families who want them back, but can't seem to fight hard enough to get them. You hear that kinship placement is supposed to be federally mandated, but in reality, it's not happening.

I love my grandson, I can support my grandson. I am willing to sacrifice my credit, my savings, and everything else to get him. He reaches for me when he's crying. He reaches for me when he's laughing. He laughs at me in the mirror. He giggles as he chases me and runs from me. We have a real relationship. Why is it so hard for some people to understand that it is best for these children to see they have loving extended families who can bring these kids up in loving environments with connections to their roots?

WHy is it that the families are made to suffer and sacrifice so much just to get them back? These resources could be better spent on the child. The thousands we have spent could have bought a car, a mobile home, land, or maybe just private school tuition. However we must toss this money away on fighting tooth and nail for justice.

And there are so many grandparents out there who suffer with the knowledge that their grandkids are in foster care and they don't have the resources ro fund the fight, so they can't get them back at all. Grandparents need a voice in DSS courts. We are told we aren't part of the case. The parents get a lawyer but the grands aren't even allowed to speak unless they go hire an additional attorney to the one for the parents.

SC is a grandparent responsibility state. If the parents are under 18, the grands can be required to pay child support. But if the parents get in trouble with dss, you have to hire them an attorney and yourself an attorney? That's crazy. And if they get their rights terminates, you don't have any rights to the grandchild that you can be required to pay child support on........

It's hard to believe that the actions of one GAL who hasn't done her job can totally screw everyone else up. I am doing everything I know how to do, and yet, if ddmom doesn't do everything they want her to do then I lose a child I took to maternity appointments, watched as he developed in ultrasounds, watched being born, stayed with for days in the hospital, took time off work for the first 2 weeks to care for, cared for every night after work, totally financially supported, provided for all of his material needs, took him to 5 doctor appointments in the first 5 weeks of his life, went with to the emergency room after his own father who is no relation to me hit him, stayed in the childrens unit for days with ,cried as he was taken away, took his mom to all of her appointments and classes, never missed a chance to see him, to visit him, paid for all paid visitations, paid child support for 3 months until told to stop, continued to supply diapers, clothes, toys, formula. I have an established relationship with this child and If someone else whom I cannot control doesn't do enough to impress everyone then I lose him forever.

Grandparents need a voice. Polititians refuse to get involved for terror of being branded easy on child abuse.