Today we had a milestone, the 6 week DCF meeting. This is where we find out more about the initial situation and why she and her brothers came into care, the actions to date, the plan for re-unification, and more.
To be totally honest, it was a tough call. It is heartbreaking to hear the situation and it felt to us like we were on The Jerry Springer Show or the like.
Again, we can't share much due to privacy, but just know she is in a much better place now. We only hope this works out for us all, and it is still too early to tell how this case will end.
We were initially told by DCF there is no way to determine how long she will be with us, but they assumed at least 6 months. When I spoke with her attorney this week, I was informed that her gut is that it would be about 1 year as Baby Z would be the last of the Z kiddos to return to Mom as she is the youngest.
After the meeting, we headed to PDC (Pediatric Development Care) to get her assessed as knowing Baby Z was 3 months premature, she although 8 months old is really more like a 5 month year old. She has done well with us, but we both want her to get the help she needs from professionals to ensure she gets on track. More to come on our PDC plan, but hoping to get her into a weekly schedule for some in-person support with some homework for us as well.
The below sums things up, so wanted to share. We are happy to help, but it is an emotional ride for sure.
Stay tuned for more adventures from The Smiths & Baby Z.