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One thing to consider is that the Agency can accuse a parent of abandoning a child when the parent allows the Agency to place the child with a relative without the proper procedures.
Another thing to look into is whether the school has been given any documentation to show that the parent is not allowed to pick up the child from school.
There was a case on this forum where the child was placed with an abusive father who had never been involved in the child's life. She was frantic. She looked into the issue of who had legal custody, and visited her son at school, where she found out he was being mistreated at his Dad's.
She tried to pick up her child from school, the agency intervened, and then she finally got a court date real quickly and a lawyer. The Agency then listed the Date of Removal of the Child as the court date, whereas the child had been removed some weeks earlier. The Agency denied removing the child earlier, and took no responsibility for it. The caseworker was new and the state's attorney had to tell her what to do. The judge then ordered the child to be with the abusive father, where the Agency had placed him already.
But it was to her benefit to nip this in the bud and take action, because she got a lawyer, a case plan, and the Agency didn't have much of a case because there was no Safety Plan, Prevention Services, etc. They were going to keep her in the dark until something bad happened at the Father's, then probably blame her for Failure to Protect and abandonment.
This all started because she reported that someone had abused her child.
Notice that it is the COURT that orders removal.
Here are the S.C. laws on Case Planning.
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/ ... ingall.pdf
page 48, 49
South Carolina
When Case Plans Are Required
Ann. Laws §§ 20-7-762; 20-7-764
Upon a finding that the child shall remain in the
home and that protective services shall continue, a treatment
plan must be prepared that is designed to alleviate any danger to the child and to aid the parents so that the
child will not be endangered in the future.
If the
court orders that a child be
removed from the custody of the parent or guardian, the court must
approve a placement plan.
A plan must be presented to the court for its approval at the removal hearing or within 10 days after the
removal hearing. If the plan is presented subsequent to the removal hearing, the court shall hold a hearing on
the plan if requested by a party.
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Who May Participate in the Case Planning Process
Ann. Laws §§ 20-7-762; 20-7-764
The plan must be prepared by the department.
To the extent possible, the plan must be prepared with the participation of the parents or guardian of the
child, the child, and any other agency or individual that will be required to provide services in order to implement
the plan.
Contents of a Case Plan
Ann. Laws §§ 20-7-762; 20-7-764
The treatment plan shall detail any changes in parental behavior or home conditions that must be made and any
services that will be provided to the family to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that the child will not be
endangered.
The placement plan shall include, but is not limited to:
The specific reasons for removal of the child from the custody of the parent or guardian and the changes that
must be made before the child may be returned
The specific actions to be taken by the parents or guardian of the child to accomplish the changes needed
Other conditions in the home that warrant State intervention, but would not alone have been sufficient to
warrant removal, and the changes that must be made in order to terminate intervention
The social and other services to be provided or made available to the parents, guardian, or other relevant
adult to assist the parents or guardian in accomplishing the objectives, including a specific finding as to the
minimum number and frequency of contacts a caseworker with the department must have with the child while
in foster care
The financial responsibilities and obligations, if any, of the parents or guardian for the support of the child
during the placement
The visitation rights and obligations of the parents, guardian, siblings, or other relatives of the child during the
placement
The nature and location of the placement of the child unless it is determined that disclosure of the location of
the placement to the parents, guardian, or any other person would be contrary to the best interest of the child
The social and other supportive services to be provided to the child and the foster parents, including counseling
or other services to assist the child in dealing with the effects of separation from the child’s home and family
If the parents or guardian were not involved in the development of the plan, the nature of the agency’s efforts
to secure parental participation
Notice to the parents or guardians that failure to substantially accomplish the objectives stated in the plan
within the timeframes provided may result in termination of parental rights
A clear statement of the conditions necessary to bring about return of the child and the reasonable efforts
that will be made by the department to reunite the child with the child’s family
.
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