I have been fighting this for over 3 years and i am still not getting anywhere with it. To make things worse the current carers are my Aunt and Her Girlfriend so causing a great family conflict. It seems that once in a while you find a case worker who actually wants to help you then just before they can put any action in place they get removed from the case, a little odd dont you think? I had a case worker who told me she could have the paper work written up that week and have it in court the next week to have my son placed back with me within a fortnight. 2 days later i called to see how she was going with that and was told that she was no longer in charge of that case and i would have to wait untill the case file was reallocated, which took 2 months. The new case worker then told me that i would never get my son back "even when he is 13 if he says 'I want to live with my mum' the department will tell him 'No your placement is with your great aunt" I then went to the Area Manager for docs (took me 3 weeks and threats of taking the department to court to get him to see me) and was told "if your famliy cant stop fighting about this he will be removed and placed in different foster care where you will only get to see him 4 times a year"
The kinship placement was suposed to help by keeping my son in contact with his birth family, My daughter only sees him on my contact, my mother only sees him on my contact as with a majority of my family. As my aunt has become so distant from us since getting care of my son.
I feel like i am constantly fighting a losing battle, but i will keep doing for one day my family will be back together, and that is what its all about really isnt it. Family?