Please pray with all your might....

I am not sure how I came across Mia's blog but somehow I did and I feel in love with her photography and her family even though I have never met them.

They need your prayers, anybody's prayers to help there beautiful family. I have pinched (borrowed) her story from her facebook page so that we can have as many people praying for them as possible. I know you will fall in love ith them too and their stroy will break your heart (I truly don't get the USA adoption laws. It makes ours here in New Zealand seem so easy)

Her story :

Proverbs 31:8-9 "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."

It's 5:00 a.m., and I just couldn't sleep. We are just weeks away from the most crucial court date in our case with baby Emma, and less than 5 days away from DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) making their recommendation. A friend recently shared this scripture with me, and it has truly been our calling over the last 4 years with the four children we have had in our home.

Here's what is going on and how you can pray. Please feel free to repost this note, or tag those that you will know will lift us up in prayer during this time. Our case is considered complicated. At this time, DCFS will be recommending to terminate the Birth Mother's (BM) services, which will then in turn terminate her parental rights 6 months after our July 6th date. The BM back in April relapsed on drugs, and has not been showing up to her visits in the past two months. According to our Social Worker, she's done. This is where it gets tricky.

BM and Birth Father (BF) live together. They've been in a relationship for over 8 years. Since February, the BM's unmonitored visits were taken away because she had lied about her place of residence, however they kept the BF's unmonitored visits. What does this mean? Basically, the mother can only visit the child in the office with the Social Worker, twice a week, one hour visits, but dad was still allowed to have the baby, by himself, on the weekends, for 4 hours on Saturday. Mom can't be there during that time, remember they live together, and is supposed to go somewhere else. We've been suspicious from the beginning that she's been in the house for each and every visits based on a few things that have happened. We haven't been able to prove it, and because the visits are on the weekend, the social worker has not stopped by to check.

The BF has remained clean and is still clean. However, up until February, out of 87 scheduled visits, he had been to less than 20%, and to date has only had the child on his own for 10 days in the last 17 months. Yes, Emma is now 17 months old, we've had her since birth. Another note, since the unmonitored visits started back in August, at that time they were getting her 3 days a week, for 8 hours at a time, she would constantly come back with diarrhea. In the visits where BF had her by himself, she has come back 50% of the time with diarrhea.

Next week are two meetings. The first is with the BF to determine if he is ready and capable of taking Emma on his own, caring for her and providing for all of her needs, which means either BM moves out or he does, and they can't be in a relationship any longer. I'm sure you are all thinking the same thing, how will the County monitor the fact that Mom has moved out, and that she's not staying there or watching the baby? That's what we are concerned about and from the beginning it only ever seemed like the BF was making minimal efforts because of the BM. He works crazy hours, makes very little money, and could never afford daycare for her, not to mention, he barely showed up for most of the scheduled visits.

We've gone from thinking there was no way they were getting her back, to thinking she's definitely going back, to now being unsure. The Social Worker visited last week, and sat on my couch telling me he's lost sleep over this case. He said he takes terminating parental rights very seriously, and at this time, doesn't feel he has enough concrete evidence against BF to take his rights away, although he is leaning towards us adopting her.

So, how can you pray? DCFS will either recommend, in their meeting next week, to return the child to the BF or to terminate his services as well. This recommendation will be submitted to court for the July 6th hearing. If DCFS decides to recommend terminating his rights, there's a good chance that we will begin the long, 1 year process to finalizing her adoption. The child's attorney has had serious concerns from the beginning about the Birth Parents, and would most likely agree with DCFS.

If DCFS recommends to return the child to the BF, and the judge agrees, he will go to live with the BF after the hearing. If DCFS recommends this next week, we have the option of hiring an attorney, and filing for De Facto Parent status. The big question here is would an attorney help us in this case, or hurt us. I have contacted one, and will talk to her after the meeting next week. If the child's attorney still feels concerned about the baby being placed back with the BF, the judge could potentially overrule DCFS's recommendation. The BF has a right to appeal, and it would then go to an appellate court 4-6 weeks later.

Ultimately this judge has the final say. From the beginning, he's done what he wants. Back in May of 2010, DFCS had recommended to terminate the parent's rights, and he overruled and increased their visitations. But, we know that God is the ultimate Judge, and we also know that God uses the prayers of his saints.

I can't imagine losing this little girl. She is our daughter, and Eva's sister. Just the thought makes me burst out in tears. I try not to think about it, but with the pending meetings next week, and court on July 6th, we are increasingly feeling burdened and anxious. We ask that you pray that we can rest in the knowledge that God's will is going to be done, and He is sovereign over all things. We plan on being in the second meeting next week, it's called a TDM (Team Decision Meeting). Most of the time, the Social Worker and his boss have already made up their minds in terms of what they are going to do, but the BF and BM will be there, and according to DCFS policy, we are allowed to be there and speak on behalf of the baby and what we believe to be best for her. DCFS may try to block us from coming, but we are armed with their policy, and know our rights.

Please, pray without ceasing, we covet your prayers. Know that we have felt them through this entire process.

Love,

The Reeds