Child custody cases are an intricate part of family law, but custody issues don’t always remain in the family. One Texas woman has vowed to keep fighting after Child Protective Services took three children out of her home after she cared for them for almost eight months.
The woman says her friend called her regarding three children who were apparently living on the street. The woman says that the children’s caregiver, who is not their parent, said she no longer wanted to deal with the oldest child, who is 11 years old.
The other two children are reportedly 4 and 5 years old, respectively. According to the woman, she received the call from her friend in November 2013. At that time, she says she found the children sitting outside the caregiver’s residence and took them home. The woman says she has been caring for all three kids since that time.
According to her, Child Protective Services went to court in May, seeking a modification of the children’s situation and to remove them to foster care. The woman questioned CPS’s sudden interest in the case, stating that the agency didn’t seem concerned in November when the children were apparently on the street. However, a CPS spokesperson said that the children were not actually in state custody at the time, but were in the care of another party — the caregiver — through an arrangement with a parent or parents.
The woman who was most recently caring for the children brought the story to a local news station. Shortly after that, the children were removed from the woman’s home by Dallas police.
In any child custody case, the best interests of the child should be the main priority. Taking legal custody issues into your own hands can be detrimental to you and the child. If step-parents or foster parents want to adopt a child, then a family law attorney can examine and clarify the best possible options for all parties involved.
Source: Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, “N. Texas woman vows to fight to keep unrelated children in her care,” Shaun Robb, May 16, 2014