When?

Our younger girls should have already had their TPR trial.  At this time they don't even have a date.  Wednesday they are supposed to have a court date to stop visitations....unless it is cancelled.  We plan on travelling to their county to attend.  It is 2 1/2 hours one way and it may be a waste of our time but we are hoping that we will get an opportunity to speak.  We are hoping that the judge will realize that they should be on the docket for TPR not another permanency planning hearing.  We are doing this hearing because our SW is hoping that it will shine some light onto the fact that we don't have a TPR hearing scheduled.  The lack of that hearing does not have anything to do with the SW, it is totally an attorney issue.  If we had the money we would hire a lawyer and have it filed ourselves. 

Michelle in particular needs permanency. 
She wants a new name. 
She wants to stay. 
She wants to be adopted.

The questions I deal with on a daily basis are.....

When will I be adopted?
Why haven't you adopted me yet?
I won't have to go back to my dad will I?  He can't take care of me.
Why doesn't my mom come to visitations?
You are going to court, will I be adopted now?
Why not?
When?
How come you don't know?
Why?


I answer as well as I can.  For almost 10 months now I have been telling her about the court process, about how we are waiting for the lawyer to submit her paperwork, we are waiting for the legal process to work it's way out.  I am asking a child who has learned how to not trust adults to believe me and to trust me.  That we are doing all we can.  We have complained all the way up to the state level.  That did get some results, the lawyer received an email from the state telling her to submit it promptly.  We pray that gets some results.

We believe that we will complete our teen adoption before the year is out.  Our local DSS has offered us any one of their court dates to do this.  As soon as the paperwork is ready we will complete her adoption.  This is great and offers permanency and a family for our teen.

What will our 6 year old think?

Why not her?
When will it be her turn?