Permanent Care Questions

[HotI]

Children on permanent care orders rarely if ever see their parents. Part of the reason they are on that order is because either the parent has serious issues that they have failed to address over a long period, or they have voluntarily signed over their rights.

You may have issues getting a small baby, as part of DHS's goal is family reunification, and always try to give the parent the oportunity to redeem themselves. By the time it has got to the point of a permanent care order, the child is usually a toddler or older, but I have known of a couple of babies on PC orders so it is possible.

It has been a few years since I worked in vic in child protection but from memory I think at most they are only allowed 2 visits a year, as it is seen as unsettling for the child.

Not necessarily at all. Even parents with big issues usually have 4 visits a year, and this can be more often. It depends on the desires of the birth family, and what it is considered in the best interests of the child.

Keeping contact with birth families is important and is encouraged as long as this can be done without harming the child.

As lil chookie said there is quite a bit of variation in visitation.

In Vic, permanent care parents can be called Mum and Dad. Again, It would depend on the circumstances- how old the child is coming to your care, what relationship they have with their birth parents, and previous carers.

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Hi, we have a child in our permanent care, he's been with us basically from birth and no longer has contact with his birth mother (long story) but has monthly contact with siblings which up until now has been organised between us and the carer of the siblings. Yesterday my husband recieved a disturbing phone call from the caseworker of the other siblings saying that we are no longer to contact this carer by email or phone even though he told me numerous times on contact visits that he's glad we work out the visits and dont involve docs.

This carer also wants to have the visits in his home, without us and my DH said that we have no problems with the visits but dont feel comfortable having them at his home without us as our baby will fret without us. In the past the visits have been on mutal ground, parks, play centres, etc.. this carer has invited us to his house for a bbq but we dont feel comfortable with that and certainly do not want him to come to our home!
I was wondering what our rights are? any help or support would be much appreciated as I'm very depressed and upset about this. I feel like he has been very sneaky and should have spoken to us before going to docs!