Prayers please for baby Gabriel

[heart4pooh]

My brother's girlfriend had their baby on July 2nd. She tested positive for cocaine and so did the baby. She lost custody at the hospital and told our family that her sister was flying in from California (to South Florida) to take the baby. My brother is in jail in California and will be released in August.

She had called our family repeatedly back in January to say she is homeless and pregnant with my younger brother's baby. My younger brother had gone to jail in November just before she found out she was pregnant. My older brother who lives in S. Florida sent her airfare and took her in.

For six months she has lived there. Recently she began hanging out with a guy who lives down the road. She stopped taking calls from my younger brother by putting a block on her phone. It wasn't until the baby was born that she announced she was not putting my younger brother on the birth certificate as the father and that her sister would be coming in from California to take the baby. My mother had begun to have a relationship with her and the plan was that she would move in with my mom when the baby was born until my brother got out of jail. My mother was devestated when she heard that her sister was taking the baby!

This past Tuesday it finally hit me as absurd that the state of Florida would allow the baby to go to California. I called the hospital yesterday and they told me that the baby was still there and we needed to call the Dept of Childern and Families.

My mother tried to see the baby yesterday but wasn't permitted. She said the nurses were very nice, but she had to speak to social services first. She arranged a meeting today. At the meeting she was told that if she had gone to the hearing yesterday she would have been allowed to have custody!! She filled out the paperwork and had an interview today. It might take up to 2 weeks to decide if she will be able to take custody. They said they will move it along as quick as possible.

My mother is 72 yrs old. I live in N. Carolina. I would have driven down there today to help her if they had given her custody. My older brother still has all the things she received from the baby shower at his house. She has not been back to the house since the baby was born. She is still down the street with the other guy...

So, the baby is in foster care for possibly two weeks. I pray that the foster family will take care of him. My mother was allowed to hold him and feed him today. She said he is precious, of course. It just breaks my heart! I've been a wreck all day waiting for her to tell me what happened at the meeting. We could just kick ourselves for the time wasted believing her lie that her sister was coming to take him. A DNA test will be done when my brother gets out of jail. He doesn't even know that my mother has applied for custody. I can't wait for him to call one of us so we can tell him! He will be so happy!!

Anyhow, I know this is long but I really could use the prayers for the baby. It breaks my heart that he is in foster care. I pray that they will love him and care for him as we would have. Thanks for getting through this long post. I mostly lurk here on the Dis but I know that there is a praying crowd here. Thanks!

 

[focusondisney]

My brother's girlfriend had their baby on July 2nd. She tested positive for cocaine and so did the baby. She lost custody at the hospital and told our family that her sister was flying in from California (to South Florida) to take the baby. My brother is in jail in California and will be released in August.

She had called our family repeatedly back in January to say she is homeless and pregnant with my younger brother's baby. My younger brother had gone to jail in November just before she found out she was pregnant. My older brother who lives in S. Florida sent her airfare and took her in.

For six months she has lived there. Recently she began hanging out with a guy who lives down the road. She stopped taking calls from my younger brother by putting a block on her phone. It wasn't until the baby was born that she announced she was not putting my younger brother on the birth certificate as the father and that her sister would be coming in from California to take the baby. My mother had begun to have a relationship with her and the plan was that she would move in with my mom when the baby was born until my brother got out of jail. My mother was devestated when she heard that her sister was taking the baby!

This past Tuesday it finally hit me as absurd that the state of Florida would allow the baby to go to California. I called the hospital yesterday and they told me that the baby was still there and we needed to call the Dept of Childern and Families.

My mother tried to see the baby yesterday but wasn't permitted. She said the nurses were very nice, but she had to speak to social services first. She arranged a meeting today. At the meeting she was told that if she had gone to the hearing yesterday she would have been allowed to have custody!! She filled out the paperwork and had an interview today. It might take up to 2 weeks to decide if she will be able to take custody. They said they will move it along as quick as possible.

My mother is 72 yrs old. I live in N. Carolina. I would have driven down there today to help her if they had given her custody. My older brother still has all the things she received from the baby shower at his house. She has not been back to the house since the baby was born. She is still down the street with the other guy...

So, the baby is in foster care for possibly two weeks. I pray that the foster family will take care of him. My mother was allowed to hold him and feed him today. She said he is precious, of course. It just breaks my heart! I've been a wreck all day waiting for her to tell me what happened at the meeting. We could just kick ourselves for the time wasted believing her lie that her sister was coming to take him. A DNA test will be done when my brother gets out of jail. He doesn't even know that my mother has applied for custody. I can't wait for him to call one of us so we can tell him! He will be so happy!!

Anyhow, I know this is long but I really could use the prayers for the baby. It breaks my heart that he is in foster care. I pray that they will love him and care for him as we would have. Thanks for getting through this long post. I mostly lurk here on the Dis but I know that there is a praying crowd here. Thanks!

I deal with this stuff all the time at my hospital. I'm sorry your family is having to go thru this. Prayers to you all. I hope it will all work out.

 

[DMickey28]

My heart hurts for that poor baby ... I think of my precious 3 month old upstairs and what it must be like for that baby to not be able to be with it's mother and that the mother doesn't care. I *know* my son knew me the minute he was born ... if someone else was holding him and he got fussy, he calmed right down in my arms. How sad ... Hopefully your mom gets custody and can care for the baby and give him a good life.

 

[mousebymarriage]

Keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[C.Ann]

I will definitely keep that precious baby - and the rest of your family - in my thoughts and prayers..

 

[kpm76]

I am 8 months pregnant with a little boy right now and my heart just aches for this precious child. Lots of prayers and good thoughts that all will work out as it should......

 

[Shmily1]

Prayers for the little one and for your mom to be able to get and take care of him. DD has a little one that will be a year old in 2 weeks. I can't imagine not having him with us.

Also, anyone in your family can get a DNA test with him and prove that he is related if that would help her case any.

 

[tinytreasures]

I'm sure he is fine in foster care coming from a foster mom who would love to be snuggling him right now while your family gets the paperwork done
your mom can ask the worker if she can have visits
pm me if you have any foster care questions or drug baby care after you get him

 

[ZachnElli]

He will be in my prayers! I hope your mom gets him soon! My youngest is adopted and his birthmom was under similar circumstances, but her husband is not the biodad, but he was in jail and she tested positive for cocaine 2 weeks before he was born, but not at the time of delivery. He went into foster care for 4 days (we got him at 6 days old, 2 days in the hospital, 4 in foster). His foster mom was great! He had no name so she nicknamed him "Big Ben". He was 10lbs at birth, thus the "big". It'll turn out ok!

 

[Saphire]

Anyhow, I know this is long but I really could use the prayers for the baby. It breaks my heart that he is in foster care. I pray that they will love him and care for him as we would have. Thanks for getting through this long post. I mostly lurk here on the Dis but I know that there is a praying crowd here. Thanks!

I am not only part of the "praying crowd", but also a foster Mom to infants in need, just like your dear nephew. Rest assured the foster Mom will love him and care for him like her own. This is a service we willingly sign up for and have a heart for. I will be praying for this sweet baby.
It is great that your Mom is now plugged in with social service. They will put her at the top of the list to care for the baby. However, the plan for the future will be for the baby to be reunited with the Mom. They will most likely arrange for her to get into a rehab program, and if she complies with the 'care plan', they will most likely send him back. Of course if she 'fails' then they will look at other interested family (your brother, the sister, your Mom). It can get complicated and messy and in the middle of it is a sweet innocent baby. I am sorry, I'll be praying!

 

[autumnpalm]

Another member of the "praying crowd" here.

I will hold Baby Gabriel (what a beautiful name for a little angel) and the rest of your family in my prayers. I pray he is well loved and cared for in foster care and will return to you soon.

Please keep us updated! What a tough situation, but you sound like a loving family and he is so lucky to have you!

 

[cntrygal]

It happens all the time, we have taken 3 newborns into foster care in the last six weeks and are await a few more, that will be taken at the hospital. They go to very loving foster parents. THe last one we placed, was the 87th one she has had in her home. Just tell your mom to be persisitant and patient, she can also go to court to file papers for custody. The baby also has been appointed a lawyer, to look out for his or her best intrests. That attorney may or may not taklk to your mom, she will probably have to go through a home study,background check and the like. When you brother gets out, depending on why he is in jail he may have some very strict restrictions on supervisied visitation in the begining before he is even aloud to be alone with the child, just be patient, they really have the child best intrest in mind, the goal these days is to unite with family not nessarly birth parents they look at grandparents, great grand parents, aunt, uncles, and siblings, if you are intersted in custody, talk to your local social services and they can help you go through the interstate compact to gain custody if you wish.

 

[Mimi1965]

I am really confused why a 72 year old (the grandmother) would have preference in the courts over the Mother's sister (whom i guess would be a lot younger)? I cant imagine someone that old raising a baby.

 

[heart4pooh]

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I know that praying does help!!

My mother is only a foster situation until my brother gets out of jail. He thinks the baby is his. I just finished a letter to him letting him know what we have done for him and Gabriel.

Last that we have heard he thinks the baby is in California, too.

It brings me comfort to hear from other foster homes to know that he is being loved by them. That is my prayer.

I will contact the local social services tomorrow to let them know that I too am available. Also, my sister in Utah would take him. She is not married and has never had children but would take him in a heartbeat.

We only know what the mother has told us about her sister and it is that she has several children already. Her family wasn't willing to help her when she was pregnant (now we know why) but we were.

I pray that his needs are being met and that he will be with our family that loves him already!

Thank you for your prayers. My heart is aching tonight. It helps that you care for a sweet baby that deserves better that what he knows so far!

 

[heart4pooh]

To fill you in... My brother is serving time for stealing a car. He has not had an upstanding life. It will be an upwards battle for him to be seen as an upstanding citizen. He is 43 yrs old and this is his first child. Lets just say that I HATE methemphatamine!

The mother is 29 and does not have custody of her 4 yr old daughter.

My understanding is that Florida will want to keep the baby in Florida. I am in N. Carolina. I will let them know first thing tomorrow that I am available if my mother's age is a problem. My sister is also willing to take him. My brother says he will change his ways, but we have heard that before. But a child has never been involved before.

Again, it brings me great comfort to hear from other foster families that he is being cared for.

 

[saradela]

Hope everything turns ok....

 

[gottaluvPluto]

To fill you in... My brother is serving time for stealing a car. He has not had an upstanding life. It will be an upwards battle for him to be seen as an upstanding citizen. He is 43 yrs old and this is his first child. Lets just say that I HATE methemphatamine!

The mother is 29 and does not have custody of her 4 yr old daughter.

My understanding is that Florida will want to keep the baby in Florida. I am in N. Carolina. I will let them know first thing tomorrow that I am available if my mother's age is a problem. My sister is also willing to take him. My brother says he will change his ways, but we have heard that before. But a child has never been involved before.

Again, it brings me great comfort to hear from other foster families that he is being cared for.

Wow, meth is very hard to overcome. I hope your brother gets the help he needs and stays clean.

DCF wants the kids to stay in Florida because the main goal is to reunite parents and baby. Mom and Dad will have to go through a parenting plan and when they follow through baby will be given back to parents. Unless the parents are completely hopeless and the court terminates the parental rights.

Good luck! DCF should give your mom resources to help take care of the baby. At the age of 72 she is going to need all the help she can get.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Prayers for sweet Gabriel...

 

[luvmy3]

Wow, meth is very hard to overcome. I hope your brother gets the help he needs and stays clean.

DCF wants the kids to stay in Florida because the main goal is to reunite parents and baby. Mom and Dad will have to go through a parenting plan and when they follow through baby will be given back to parents. Unless the parents are completely hopeless and the court terminates the parental rights.

Good luck! DCF should give your mom resources to help take care of the baby. At the age of 72 she is going to need all the help she can get.

Any woman who uses cocaine while pregnant IS completely hopeless.

OP, I wish the best for the baby and your family.

 

[heart4pooh]

One of the things I do not understand is why wouldn't she tell someone in our family that Gabriel was going into protective custody? She must have been told that her sister could not come to get him. She also knew that we were all excited about the baby. She had a baby shower just the week before and both of my parents were there!

Thanks again for your kind words and prayers!