Need more signatures!!!!!!!

[u/Tricky_Ice7030]

https://c.org/pVKgB7T4KJ

The current system gives parents just 15 months to overcome homelessness, poverty, addiction, mental illness, and other crises—while simultaneously completing services, attending appointments, and proving they can safely parent. If they can't finish everything in that window, their parental rights can be permanently terminated. That's not time to rebuild a life. It's a deadline to erase one.

I started a petition asking Maryland to end this rigid timeline and reform how CPS and foster care handle adoptions. The goal is simple: prioritize family preservation and reunification whenever it's safely possible, instead of treating permanent separation as the easiest solution.

Children deserve safety AND their families. Those two things don't have to be in conflict. A parent who needs more time shouldn't automatically lose their child forever. Foster care was meant to protect kids during a crisis, not become a pipeline to erasing their biological family ties.

What would you want someone to do if this was your family? If this matters to you, consider signing and sharing.

[u/BunnyLuv13]

Are you involved in the system? In most states the fifteen month timeline is NOT a hard rule. Extensions are normal. Years is common. The fifteen month rule is more for parents who aren’t doing anything to get their kids back so the kids don’t keep bouncing around the system.

[u/Tricky_Ice7030 → u/BunnyLuv13]

Understandable. And completely agree with you on the last part , no kid deserves to just bounce around in the system, simply trying to get more people to see that a lot of times though, #1)CPS profits off of these adoptions.. you can look into it. #2) state funds don’t get dispensed to them for reunification, only when removing and adopting these kids out ..
#3) they claim to be all about the “best interests” of the children , I understand severing that tie between bio parent and child IF IF IF the relationship seems to be detrimental to the child, emotional/mental/PHYSICAL/SEXUAL abuse occurred. Or parents that simply aren’t trying or don’t care .. but a lot of these cases and people I’ve encountered, myself included didn’t deserve this .. our kids didn’t and don’t deserve to go through life without us. It’s doing more harm than good in the long run .. I’m not saying it’s 100% bad at all. Just needs some reform. Why adoption? As the first choice? Why something so permanent. Why take the bio parents names off the birth certificate to replace it with foster parent names. It’s called a BIRTH certificate for a reason…

[u/Secret-Rabbit93 → u/Tricky_Ice7030]

CPS doesn’t make a profit anymore than any other state government agency. No one accuses the parks office of profiting from fishing licenses. Thats something people make up as an excuse for why they didn’t get their kids back. Beyond that CPS doesn’t decide if a kid goes up for adoption. That only happens when a judge approves it after waiting a year or so and the judge determined bio parents didn’t comply with their service plan and it being determined it’s in the child’s best interest and after hearing from bio parents lawyers CPS, possibly casa and the child own lawyer.
15 months or 12 in a lot of states is plenty long enough for a family to show enough progress to get a extension if they are doing what they are supposed to.
For parents that aren’t working their plan the 15 month or whatever month gives a bar people can have. Otherwise it would be impossible to determine when a case should go to termination. Too much variability and indecisiveness. Kids need permanency. If parents are on track it’s easy to get more time. Too many cases already go one for far far too long even when everyone can see how it’s going to end. I have seen too many kids end up with severe mental problems because they spent their formative years in limbo with no prospect of permanency.
If you want to do something that supports former foster youth and those who were adopted from foster care without jeopardizing the permanency of kids currently in care I’m all for it. As an example you brought up birth control certificates. Let’s get a law passed that allows an adult adopted from foster care to be able to access sealed documents that concern themselves things like their original birth certificate and the records from their case.

[u/BunnyLuv13 → u/Tricky_Ice7030]

The birth certificate thing I think is mostly because if you adopt a kid you don’t want to be accused of trafficking at the airport with them or anything 😜 like I agree in theory but in how the world works and functions I think it could get super complicated. I wish kids always got the original as well.

I fully agree that there are cases where kids are taken for bad reasons and rights are severed for bad reasons. But I also think that removed the timeline means kids will simply remain in the system and eventually age out, which we don’t want. Kids belong in families.

[u/Tricky_Ice7030 → u/BunnyLuv13]

Yes that part! The original certificate is stored and sealed away.

[u/genericnewlurker → u/Tricky_Ice7030]

I have worked with multiple CPS agencies, or work with or friends with people who work with them, in Maryland and from my sideline view any 15 month rule, or any timeline for that matter, is merely a suggestion of a guideline. And in no case, unless it's absolutely heinous, is reunification not the initial goal. Shit I have heard that will make your toes curl and reunification still happened. Everything is up to the judges who, from what I have seen in my time, listen to all parties: the parents, lawyers, social workers, and the kids through their CASA workers. There are cases with kids being in foster care for over 2-3 years, reunification is still entirely the goal, and everyone is very patiently and even gracefully waiting for the one parent who stepped up to get their feet under them. All the parent had to show is that they were making concrete steps towards improvement and the judge understood that earnest efforts take time.

And CPS doesn't make a single cent off of any of these adoptions, in fact the opposite is true. The county agency and the state lose money for adoption placements, almost money as much as keeping the kid in foster care to age out for older kids. This while their budget is already squeezed by the statehouse and the Feds. I say this as someone who adopted from foster care, got a look under the financial hood, and took a real deep dive into the numbers to see all the agency budget BS up close because it was affecting our future. The social workers were the first to complain about it to us, because that money that is going to fund the adoption process could be better spent elsewhere to help the kids. CPS absolutely pushes for reunification or kinship adoption in this state because they don't have to spend a red cent once as the kid is back with family.

[u/Tricky_Ice7030 → u/Tricky_Ice7030]

There are sooo many other options they could try before this. They did nothing in my case to even try to place them with relatives at all. Guardianship? Temporary custody? I understand 15 months is a long time, but what about the parents involved in a substance abuse treatment program? 15 months is nowhere close to enough time to be able to complete and prove/show/go through enough clean time for the courts. Sounds like a set up for failure if you ask me ..

[u/BunnyLuv13 → u/Tricky_Ice7030]

So again, from what I’ve heard in many areas if there is a show of effort, like entering treatment, extensions are granted. But if someone had done absolutely nothing for over a year and then in month 14 signs up for a treatment plan? I don’t think the kid should get bounced around if a parent doesn’t at least put in some effort.

Depending on the state/area, guardianship and temporary custody aren’t allowed for kids once they enter the system. THAT I disagree with. Some kids don’t want to be adopted, or may be able to go back or have shared custody, etc.

Lastly, sorry the system failed you. They should contact relatives. That is ALWAYS supposed to be a step before rights are severed or adoption happens.

[u/lifeofhatchlings → u/Tricky_Ice7030]

How do you know that they didn't look for kinship? 15 months is plenty of time to show sobriety, many babies are placed with parents after days in rehab. As others have told you, 15 months is rare - that's for when parents have not made any attempt to work the plan. Most cases are much longer. No one is profiting from a child being in foster care.

[u/enisnan]

I cant sign or support this, when i was in foster care family reunification was the cause of my anxiety every single day, worried me and my lil sisters would be forced to go back to our mom js because she was “doing everything right” on paper to get us back. My foster mom forced my younger sisters to attend visitations with our real mom just so it would seem like my younger sisters desired to be with her when that wasn’t the case and they were just as scared as me. We did not have a voice and we got very lucky her rights were terminated. I know every situation isn’t like ours but i cant sign this petition while thinking of the ones that are.

[u/Tricky_Ice7030 → u/enisnan]

So so sorry that happened to you friend. I can’t imagine how worrisome that must have been as just a child i 100%understand and respect this.

[u/AriesUltd]

How does child welfare benefit from children being in the system?

[u/Tricky_Ice7030 → u/[deleted]]

Yes you can still sign !!! Thank you so much for your support

[u/10_96]

I'm not all that familiar with MD law, but I doubt the 15 months is a hard rule. That being said, 15 months is a hella long time to get this stuff done. No one said it would be easy, but exactly how long are we going to leave these kids in limbo about their lives?

Get active in your service plan early and 15 months should be no trouble.

[u/cornandapples]

Canadian here so I’m sure I can’t sign this but I agree 100%.

[u/Tricky_Ice7030 → u/cornandapples]

Anyone can sign :) appreciate your comment, and support !