A new bill is coming before Utah's legislature that will impact the rights of foster parents and foster children; HB 237. This bill gives relatives preference to come in AFTER termination of biological parents' rights to take the child for adoption even if the child has lived in a foster home for months or years.
I believe this bill to be wrong for more than one reason. Foster parents have very few rights to begin with and this bill takes steps to further diminish the rights of foster parents. It is another example of the state refusing to acknowledge and accept the fact that foster children bond with foster families and become in a very real sense a real family member just as much as a foster parent's biological children. When a child is removed from their biological parents DCFS searches out viable family members to take the child. This is known as kinship placement and is considered the most ideal placement for a foster child. If no kinship placement is found or accepted by a family member then an alternate foster family is found. This is why I am against this bill. Biological families have the opportunity at the time of the removal of the child to come forward and take responsibility of the child. It takes many months, sometimes years before parental rights are terminated. Family members have ample time to assert rights. To wait until after termination to remove the child when the child has spent many months and even years in a foster home with a family who have loved, cared for and bonded with them only causes further trauma to the child.
This is the other reason I disagree with HB 237. It is the most important reason. It is not in the best interest of the child to remove them AGAIN from a home in which they have lived for an extended period of time bonding to a family. It is time that we returned to laws that protect the rights of children and do what is best for them.
If you agree with me please write a letter to your legislative representative.
I have.
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