Going to Court
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Courts Have the Final Word | The Crafts can pursue their wish to adopt Briana in court. While the termination and adoption may be disputed, bonding is on their side and will be a key issue in the court hearing. Read more |
| Don't Make Kids Wait |
Waiting is painful, even torturous for adults. Ignorant of the outcome, one is likely to imagine every possibility, and especially the worst. Read more |
| Hiring an Attorney | Foster parents would be wise to hire an attorney as soon as they wish to adopt, before matters get set in cement. Read more |
| Bonding Must Be Clearly Defined | Bonding is defined in ways that the attorney can use effectively in court. Read more |
| Expert Testimony: The Mental Health Professional as Witness | A bonding study should stand alone and be requested because it makes a unique contribution. Read more |
| The Role of the CASA/GAL | The court-appointed special advocate (CASA) or guardian ad litem (GAL) is specially trained and has legal standing. Their job is to talk to all parties, especially the foster child, and make recommendations to the court. Read more |
| The Foster/Adopt Parent as Witness | Foster parents should prepare for court by reviewing the written material in their journal entries. The Daily Journal for Foster Parents (2011) contains a helpful quarterly summary outline of important issues. Read more |
| The Court Has Problems | The courts which oversee the foster care system are overcrowded. To move a child from foster care to permanence within 12 months, court hearings are needed upon entering the foster care system and every three to six months thereafter. Read more |
| Cooperative Adoption | One special and important possibility where agreement between the parties can override disputes and delays is a cooperative adoption. Read more |
| Pseudo-Permanency Plans | Reunification and adoption are the only true permanent solutions. Read more |
| The Rights of the Child | "The child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and understanding….” Read more |
| Statements of Fact | Interrupted bonding is significantly correlated with childhood and adult mental illness, with adult crime and violence, and with homelessness and poverty. Read more |
| Summary of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-89) | This new law makes changes and clarifications in a wide range of policies. Read more |
| Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act | The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893/P.L. 110-351) will help hundreds of thousands of children and youth in foster care by promoting permanent families for them. Read more |
| Appellate Court Decisions Favoring Bonding | Appellate courts have used terms like “continuity of care,” “risks of transition,” and “significant attachment” when describing the importance of attachment and keeping children in bonded relationships. Here are nine recent appellate court decisions from across the country. Read more |
Visitor-submitted questions
| Question | ACT's Response |
|---|---|
| Even though we have had our foster children for nearly four years and want to adopt, the child welfare department wants to take and place them in another home with older birth siblings. |
Bonding is a significant reciprocal attachment which both parties want and expect to continue, and which is interrupted or terminated at considerable peril to the parties involved. Bonding is likely after three months of 24/7 contact, probable after six, and almost certain after 12 months. Interrupted bonding is significantly correlated with an increase in childhood and adult mental illness, adult crime and violence, homelessness, and poverty. Bonding, when it occurs, should take precedence over blood kinship if the best interests of the child are to be served. I recommend that you obtain a copy of our book, "Bonding and the Case for Permanence," and arrange for a Bonding Evaluation. Good luck! Read more |
| We loved your book on Bonding, found it very helpful. |
We appreciate your kind words and are glad our book was of use. Read more |
