How do I prove that this home is better for a 10 month old foster child than her biological aunt's house?

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MamaKate	I understand that you care about this little girl a great deal and want to protect her. You are in a difficult position but you need to remember that this child should have the chance to be cared for by her biological family if it is possible. You shouldn't have to prove anything. If you are a better placement, the Court will determine so. In addition to what Mum to Superkids said, it is not uncommon for children who are in foster care to have extreme or abnormal behaviors - especially after being shuttled back and forth to visits and having to adjust to different households - especially at such a young age. She cannot verbally express how she feels and may be looking to food to comfort her emotionally. You need to be careful not to allow this to become a habit. You said this has happened before just not to this extent. Perhaps her escalation in this behavior is a reaction to visits with the Aunt being introduced - this behavior is not unheard of with foster children. (I am also curious how you can tell if a child is "stuffed" or not. Kids, especially of that age stop eating when they are full unless there is another issue going on. You might want to visit the pediatrician and discuss her dietary needs and make sure there is not something else physiological going on.) I absolutely agree with other posters that if you think that there is abuse or neglect you need to document any injuries or concerns and speak to the social worker who is handling this case. The social worker should investigate and if it is possible, assist the Aunt in learning how to correct any issues that she may be causing FIRST before eliminating her as a possible placement. If the problem is severe or the Aunt is not a suitable placement, the social worker will present this to the Court. If this child also has a GAL/CASA you should speak to them as well. If she does not have one, I would suggest that you request one for her. Good luck to this little girl. I hope that she ends up where she should be and I hope that whatever the outcome, you will be happy for her and have peace with the decision. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

tricia123	Hi we are foster parents and we were just told that besides documenting EVERYTHING and taking the child to the drs & taking pics call the cps intake and make a report. The job of CPS is reunification. Its all about getting the children back with their parents or relatives first. We just had a little girl that was with us for 9 months go back when the father wasn't ready to be a parent but the caseworker said he was. The father even said he didn't want the child he wanted his mother to take her (she failed the home study) he said this at the permanency hearing as well as in court. It didn't matter. We just hope and pray that what she went through before does NOT repeat itself and she will be safe. YOU HAVE TO CONTACT 1-866-363-4276 or your local agency intake. Good Luck If you want you can shoot me an email. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

icehockeymom7	OH how heartbreaking.....I can't imagine how helpless you must feel. I think you got great advice to DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! And yes, take her to the pediatrician so there is medical documentation there as well. Make sure the social worker knows this is the condition she is in when she comes back to you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

B	Document everything. Take pictures or record videos of bruises, diaper rash that is really bad and obviously caused from neglect, if she has on nasty clothes and other signs of abuse or neglect. Document all of the days that she stays with you and her behavior after coming back to your house from theirs. Always sign your name and date it and have someone witness it. That's what our lawyer told us about my sister a few years ago. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

crzymmof8	DOCUMENT it all. If she has a guardian ad litem or Casa call them. I would have her checked by her pediatrician immediately about the sore bottom. Talk to the ped about what is going on too. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sam22254	Like a lot of people answer some of this is not un common. As much as I would like to say the couple who has my grandson treats him bad I can't. He eats like a little pig He is 3 years old and will eat a whole hamburger, fries, and chicken strips all at one meal. His dad did the same when he was that age and my son is skinny. You would think that he is never fed . You are a foster parent and their might not let you adopt the child anyways. I can tell you one thing CPS checks out the homes that the child goes in like they did yours. Talk to the aunt tell her what you have found. Then Talk to the child's social worker Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Timid Women Rarely Make History	I'd document her condition upon arrival with pictures,video tape,a doctor's visit. And also document her progress as well. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

♥♥Mum To Superkids♥♥	If she is 10 months old it's not unusual for her diet to be predominantly milk, breastmilk or formula is more beneficial for a child of that age than solid food due to their small stomachs and high nutritional needs. Babies do also get nappy rash, one of my children suffers from very bad nappy rash while teething, nothing 'cures' it, it just has to be relieved until the teething has passed. That said, if you truly suspect there is neglect going on, you need to document any signs that you see, such as marks, bruises, unusual behaviours, etc, and raise your concerns immediately with the child's case worker. If you take photos of the genital area let the case worker know immediately that you have done so and forward everything to him/her in writing. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No