I'm not sure of the circumstances in your case - however the mother of my two foster brothers (aged 12/14) has had her parental rights terminated (their fther is deceased) and they have been permanently placed with my folks. She is unable to regain custody as far as I am aware. This process took several years and she was given lots of chances to "prove" herself (eg go to rehab, counselling etc) - but failed and the courts terminated her rights. You probably need to ask about the status of her/his rights...not sure if that was helpful - sounds like you are going to be going something wonderful for these children - Goodluck!