Families

The Long Road Ahead

adult and child holding hands
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This writer was permitted to follow Ruff because a Juvenile Dependency Court judge signed a court order allowing it in the interest of showing the public what taxpayer-funded Protective Services Workers do. However, child welfare laws protect children’s privacy and the confidentiality of their proceedings. So, after the 30-day court order expired, Ruff and Child Welfare Services were prohibited by law from discussing this case further.

However, at the first court hearing, which this writer attended, Juvenile Dependency Judge Cynthia Bashant made a preliminary order that the baby remain in foster care, and that the mother and father could continue their visits.

The mother told  Bashant that she would participate in treatment and work towards regaining the right to her son.

“It sounds like she’s doing all the right things,” Bashant said.

However, Bashant told  the parents that for kids under 3 years old, state law doesn’t allow a lot of time for the reunification process. There would be another hearing in two weeks; by then, the mother should be enrolled in treatment.

By the next hearing in six-months, if the mother were not clearly committed to overcoming her substance abuse, the Court could start planning for the permanent termination of parental rights in order to achieve a permanent safe environment for the baby, the judge warned.

“Our number one choice is the child goes back with the parents, but number two, we don’t want to have to move the child too much,” Bashant said. “You have to be willing to make a life commitment.”

Our number one choice is the child goes back with the parents.
-Juvenile Dependency Judge Cynthia Bashant

As member of the Court Intervention unit, Ruff will work with this family through the disposition hearing, typically at the 30 day mark. His job is to set them on a path that helps improve the underlying problems—in this case, the mother’s addiction—and make sure the baby is in a safe, nurturing environment in the meantime. 

Juvenile Dependency cases are often open for at least six months and sometimes for years, so after the dispositional hearing, a new protective services worker from the Continuing Services unit will work with the family going forward. This worker’s job will include monitoring whether the mother successfully completes a treatment program and stays off drugs, and making recommendations to the Court about the child’s long-term placement.

Ruff, on the other hand, is off to the next case, using all his skills and judgment to help families and children in their first days in the child welfare system.

For Ruff, gratification comes when adults seem to be earnestly working towards doing what’s best for their kids.

But he knows the cases are never simple and he can’t predict how they will turn out. The County’s statistics show that about 65 percent of families eventually are reunited, but the rest are not.

So it’s no wonder that, even with all he’s learned and seen, Ruff’s assessment of this latest family’s chances remained totally open ended.

“It could go either way.”

Protecting Kids at Risk Introduction