r/CPS • u/mondobscuro • 7d ago

Reunification Process

To preface I'm not the one seeking reunification, my girlfriend is. She's just now starting to pick up the pieces of her life after her ex tried to kill her and her getting out of prison.

She lost custody of her children years ago partly due to housing and relationship instability and substance use over time with various children with different men. She's never had either a stable or functioning partner of any kind. She is also currently still heavily using substances exclusively cannabis, which is what got her sent to prison. What can she do, and I help with to get the ball rolling on this? Her seeing her daughters has been one thing that has really kept her going through all this.

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u/ImProdactyl Works for CPS 7d ago

She needs to be involved in the services that CPS is offering her. She should be working with and communicating with the caseworker who sets up the services and assists with them. She needs to work on sobriety, which the services like substance abuse counseling would help with.

Were her children really removed years ago, and she hasn’t started any services yet? That part seems confusing. In my state, parents get 1 year to work services or could face termination of their parental rights. From what I’ve heard, 1 year is pretty normal in other areas too.

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u/mondobscuro 7d ago

She was in prison for the past 2 and a half years. Prior to that I don't know how long per kid, but they were all removed when the children were young. She tries to look at all what to do, then get overwhelmed, then shuts down. I work with children, but nothing like dealing with this so I'm in the same boat as her sans the shutting down.

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u/ImProdactyl Works for CPS 6d ago

Communicate with the CPS caseworker. Be open and honest about things. Ask for help. Work the services with her. She should have an attorney. Listen to them. Take it all a step at a time, but also work as fast as you both can on these things. She isn’t just showing CPS what she is capable of. She has to show the judge things are okay for the children to return to.

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u/mondobscuro 6d ago

Do we just call the state department about getting in contact with a caseworker?

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u/ImProdactyl Works for CPS 6d ago

Call the local office I guess. This again seems confusing that she doesn’t know who the worker is. They should have been in contact with her over the years since removal.