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Update...On Wednesday the kids finally got ahold of their lawyer. To date, he has pretty much ignored them and not done anything to assist them. The lawyer told Nehru that he only had 5 minutes to talk about the case the only other time Nehru has talked to him and he told Nehru that he had too many cases to deal with them properly.

In yesterday's conversation, he told Nehru that he does not want the boys to be returned to their father's house, because nothing in the house has changed, the abuse is still going on, the neglect is still there, nothing has been done with the step daughter that has been killing animals, no counseling, nothing. So he told Nehru to tell me that the kids had to be turned over to the state of Iowa Department of Human Services and when they were he would make sure they would go to a foster group home in a different city so they would be safe.

Once they have been in foster care for 48 to 72 hours they have to right to see the judge in a closed door session to discuss why they do not wish to go to their fathers house. Herein lies the problem. I want to boys to suffer the least amount possible. The judge is only in town occasionally in that area. Right now he is only scheduled to be in court on Friday morning and Monday morning. Nehru told his attorney we would get back with him on thursday and let him know what we decide. I knew if I took them on Wednesday it would be Monday before they say the judge.

So the kids and I sat down and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of which day to go and such. I called the kids lawyer back right after lunch today and left him the message that we'd decided to drop the kids off on Friday afternoon, then they could meet with the judge on Monday morning and go from there. Since their lawyer is not suppose to give me any advice, just the kids, I told him that I would not be by my phone for the next several hours if he wanted to leave a message for Nehru he could do so. (He has talked to Nehru on my cell phone several times) After almost 3 hours and no response and the work day drawing to a close, I called back to find out that about 30 minutes after my call, he left the office for the day (2pm) and won't be back till Monday.

Now there is no guarentee that the Department of Human Services won't take the kids back to their father, since their lawyer has to be present to keep that from happening, and he couldn't even have the curtesy to return the phone call. Included in that phone call was the question of what the kids should and should not take with to the group home. Should they bring personal items, hygiene items, Will they need to bring their own shampoo and soap. Will it be safe for them to bring their CD players and CD's or not, etc. Did we have to go out and buy winter coats, since they may end up in the shelter for several months while the judge makes his final decision regarding custody , but their lawyer thought the chances were really good that I'd get them from him, and the judge will let the kids decide if they want to go to his house for visitation.

I don't understand what was so hard about those questions on behalf of the kids. So now we have to wait till Monday to hear from him, and then once they go to the shelter, there will be no guarentee that they will see the judge in 48-72 hours if the judge is not in town in that time frame. So they may have to wait 5 days in the group foster home. This is so fustrating.

On the other hand since there are no regular foster homes in the area of the courts's juristiction, they are having to place the boys in the group home about an hour away. My mother who is a state certified foster parent lives only just over 1 additional hour away and their lawyer think that the judge will say that is too far away from his juristiction eventhough that way they would be with family, they won't be a burden on the state money, All their needs will be taken care of , and Nehru won't have to go through 3 high schools in one year, which really stinks when you are trying to prepare for college.

If my mother lived 60 miles closer it would be no problem and I don't understand that...no matter if she was 60 miles closer or here, they would still have to send someone from a different department of human service agency, so what is the difference between being 60 miles and 120 miles. Either way it is a bit of a difference and a someone else is going to have to make sure the kids are safe. I would think the court would rather place the kids with a relative then with strangers in a strange settings with kids that have been kicked out of foster homes and are considered antisocial. These kids have been through enough, why put them through more?

I'm just so fustrated, not as fustrated as before , but definitely fustrated in a different way now . One step forward, two steps back... I'm still following up on the DHS not doing their job, and still following up with the Justice for Children Department, so no other kids have to go through this and so that there is documentation and proof in case my ex tries to fight things too hard.

On the plus side I got the job I was going after today. smile Assistant plant manager for Omaha Steaks...which is a nationwide company and originally it was only going to be a temp job, but they are already making noise like they want to keep me on permanent if I can survive the holiday rush. The only down side is that it doesn't start for another 4 weeks (around Thanksgiving here in the USA) when people start ordering their holiday steaks and prime cuts of meat and ordering them as gifts for family and friends. If I take the Permanent position, I will make a decent salary, almost double of what I was making in Florida. Unfortunately for the temp position they don't pay as well. sad

^__^ Sounds like things are starting to look up Uni. I'm still sending lots of positive thoughts your way and hoping for the best!

*hugs* At least it's something. It does seem like a major pain and all, but at least there's something being done or looking like there's an option. I really hope this all works out for you all!

You are still in my prayers Uni! *hugs* I am so glad to hear you are doing a bit better though understandably frustrated! Congrats on the job too....will cross my fingers that it works into a very GREAT position for you!!

Bad, bad, rotten day. stressed scream stressed argh...
Well I got my adult daughter to drive us up to drop the kids off where their lawyer said to drop them which is with the Department of Human Services in Sioux City Iowa. On Monday he told my son he would be around all week. The judge is suppose to be on Friday Morning only. Supposedly within 48 to 72 hours of the kids getting back to Iowa, their lawyer is suppose to present them to the judge so they can tell him why they do not want to live with their dad, why they want to stay in foster care and why they want to petition the court for a custody change to me, since nehru is old enough to decide. All lies. Their lawyer lied to them and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

The lady at DHS (and calling her that is putting it nicely) knew absolutely nothing about what was going on. I couldn't go in, since my lawyer screwed up and lied several times and refused to admit it in court and so there are warrants for my arrest until the kids get returned. Well they were returned, but since the judge was not available till friday, my lawyer supposedly cannot get things dropped till then. Anyhow, the DHS worker said that they don't take kids to be turned over and they don't have any foster group homes available and basically everything that the kids lawyer said wasn't true.

So my daughter went to leave with the kids, we decided after talking with the lady for over 45 minutes and not getting anywhere, so their sister walked out with yami, but when nehru went to leave the lady told him that if they left, they would put warrants out for my daughter (their sister) as well. Their sister was in tears, she asked the worker what was she suppose to do? Their sister was told that it didn't matter. Their sister had to get back to town for her college class and the case worker was being stupid. The lady said that they wouldn't take the kids, they don't get in the middle, and then she demanded my daughters address and phone number and told her again if she tried to leave with her brothers, that they would put out an all points bulletin for her and that she would be thrown in jail for an undetermined amount of time.

She (the DHS worker) then supposedly called the County Attorney in the County that my ex lives and he claimed that the kids lawyer did not file any paperwork and that the lawyer was off work till Friday and that there is no paperwork showing that the kids were wards of the state, so he ordered her to detain the kids and turn them over to their dad. From the minute the kids walked in her office they told her that they refused to go back to their dad's house because of the abuse and nothing being fixed. They were told their opinion didn't matter for anything. She told them if they had a problem, to call their case worker at DHS (the one that has been lieing on her reports and telling stories to make herself look better) . The kids said that the case worker lies and doesn't do her job and doesn't do anything when they do report problems and the police and school officials are the same way, they do nothing when abuse is reported.... except to ask the abusive parent if they were being abusive and not even talking to the kids. She told them basically too bad. mad confused eek cry

I left a message for the kids lawyer but I doubt that he will return my call. He never has. I told Nehru to make sure and call the lawyer and leave a message tomorrow and again on Friday. It doesn't look like anything will be done till sometime next week at the earliest again. I hate all this delay and all this lieing. All I want to do is crawl into a ball and cry my heart out for my kids, their worst nitemare is taking place. If you could of just seen the look on yami's face when he found out that they had to go back to their dad's ...and the look of resignation on Nehru's. He just had a feeling things were going to work out like this.

I tried so hard to make sure as many t's were crossed and i's were dotted, and this still happened. cry crying cry

*hugs* I'm so sorry sweetie. Don't ever lose hope, and know that there will be a time in your childrens' lives when they will be able to walk out that door with, "F@#K YOU Dad!!!" On their lips. They know you love them. They know you're fighting for them. Just don't ever lose hope. Start writing congressmen, hell talk to the FBI. Anything. I'm still praying for you.

Well if you need to come to this s**t state for anything (sorry to others who live here, I personally hate it), You could always stay with me for a little while. Unfortunately my lease only allwos for two weeks soooo....