Although parents generally have primary responsibility for caring for their children, visitation rights of grandparents and foster parents play major roles in the lives of many children as well. If your ability to provide care and attention to a child is being threatened, you deserve an opportunity to make your case.
At Connolly Schneider Shireman in Houston, our attorneys have extensive experience asserting foster parents’ and grandparents’ rights in Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) or Child Protective Services (CPS) cases and other Texas family law cases. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
Standing Up for Visitation Rights of Grandparents’ Rights
When parents are unfit to care for their children due to substance abuse, mental health issues or other factors that lead to abuse or neglect of the children, it is very common for grandparents to want to step in, protect their grandchildren and take responsibility for their care.
In DFPS or CPS cases, however, the courts decide where children are placed after being removed from their parents. Even when children have grandparents, other relatives, or friends who are ready and willing to care for them, the courts can place them with foster parents, family acquaintances, or any other adult instead.
Another factor affecting grandparents in these cases is that if the parents of a child have their parental rights terminated, the grandparents may find that their rights to their grandchildren have been terminated as well.
It is important for grandparents to have an advocate they can rely on to give them skilled advice focused on the potential future consequences of that advice. We are highly experienced with these cases and have helped many grandparents assert their rights, gain custody and, when needed, adoption.
For a variety of reasons sometimes parents, CPS, guardian ad items or attorney ad items support the placement of children with non-relatives rather than otherwise suitable grandparents. Our attorneys frequently represent grandparents in actions for termination, adoption, conservatorship, or access and possession. Contact us to learn more about your options.
Asserting Foster Parents’ Interests
Many people who agree to become foster parents hope to eventually adopt a foster child or foster children out of the foster care system. Even those who do not plan to adopt often develop close connections with the children in their care.
Sometimes, however, children are placed back in their parents’ care out of the foster care system, even in cases where the foster parents have been told that the children will be eligible for adoption, and the parents may not want the children and the foster parents want to maintain a relationship.
Sometimes foster parents are confused by the plans of DFPS, the position of the guardian ad litem or attorney ad litem or visitation rights of grandparents. Frequently, foster parents seek our help because the child or children are going to be removed and potentially put into harm’s way. Our attorneys have represented many foster parents through the CPS system and are experienced in handling the legal and practical challenges that are unique to this area of law.
Our lawyers regularly represent foster parents in these cases and others affecting their rights and interests in the child protective services system. Contact us to learn more about your options.