Foster Parents provide love and care for children in their home, typically with the goal of returning them to their families. During the course of a child’s time in foster care, the child spends more time with the foster parents than any other person on the family team. However, foster parents are the only member of the family team that doesn’t have the status of a “party” to the legal case for the child. Fostering contracts may impose some limitations on legal actions you may take with respect to a child in your home. However, foster care contracts typically do not prevent you from consulting with an attorney, discussing your concerns and learning your options.
If you are adopting a child through foster care, select an attorney who will meet with you in person and discuss all of the details of your experience and the child’s history and review your adoption contracts with you. There is no “list” of attorneys that are approved. Any attorney familiar with adoption law may seek reimbursement from the State for reasonable costs associated with your adoption. Research your options and select someone with the knowledge and time to discuss your case with you thoroughly.
If you have already adopted a child from foster care, you may be visiting this site because you are concerned about getting sufficient resources and/or medical care for your child. Children adopted from foster care have usually been exposed to abuse and neglect, sometimes for a prolonged time period. The effects of this exposure may not manifest for years. While DCS and TennCare have a continuing obligation to provide support, it can be difficult to make your child’s case heard to get the support that you need for your child. Consulting an attorney can help you create a plan of action. It is possible that you could appeal medical denials from TennCare or obtain foster care subsidy modifications, either of which could impact your ability to provide proper care for your child.
If you adopted a child and have been encouraged by a medical or mental health provider or by a TennCare representative to return custody of a child to DCS for the purposes of accessing medical or mental health treatment, it is essential that you speak to an attorney before taking any further steps. There are significant legal ramifications for you and your family, and you may not be getting the information that you need to make the right decision.
I am actively adding links in the next few weeks. Check back soon to see what resources have been added to this page.
General DCS Links:
Resources and Information for Relative Foster parents:
DCS Policy 16.20 Expedited Custodial Placements
DCS Policy 16.39 Subsidized Permanent Guardianship
Resources for Foster Parents Considering Adoption:
DCS Policy 15.11 Adoption Assistance
Resources for Parents using TennCare and TennCare Select:
TennCare Resource Guide, Tennessee Justice Center
Primary Counties of practice: Blount, Knox, Loudon, Sevier and Monroe. This includes the cities of Knoxville, Farragut, Alcoa, Maryville, Rockford, Lenoir City, Loudon, Madisonville, Sweetwater, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and all other communities wtihin those counties.
Additional Counties of practice: Julia will, and frequently does, travel to any additional counties in East or Middle Tennessee as needed for your case. She makes every effort to minimize those travel costs to you.