What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? OH
I'm raising an almost 5 year old non relative. He came to live with me when he was 2 days old. He was born in prison and I agreed to help his grandma take care of him until his mother was released from prison.It ended up just being me though. When he was 6 months old, mom got out of prison but chose not to take him. Long story short, she had very little to do with him and knew nothing about his special needs and would not take him to the specialist he needed to see. When he turned 2, I filed for custody. I was given physical and legal custody with mom having standard visitation and dad has been in prison the whole time and will be for the next year so he doesn't have visitation. Mom only shows up every couple months and has brought him back 3 times now with her smelling very strongly like alcohol. He points to the wine at the store and says that's the kind of Koolaide mom drinks and that the purple one tastes really bad. She previously admitted in court that she had tried to pick him up once after she had been out drinking all night and, "probably shouldn't have been driving". His special needs make it very difficult for him to be out of his routine so when she does show up out of the blue, it is very upsetting for him. His teachers always ask me if he has visited her after he returns because they say his behavior is very different in the days following the visits. He is violent and very emotional and clingy and calls himself stupid a lot. I get a lot of messages from mom and step mom that I obviously don't work with him because he should know his ABC's and colors by now. He has FASD though and it makes it difficult for him to retain new information. He is in a school for special needs kids and receives speech, OT, and special education there. I took him to the behavior clinic at Children't hospital and he told the doctor that step mom touches him when he goes to the bathroom and that she cusses at him and spanks him with his pants down. Honestly, I don't think she's molesting him. From what it sounds like to me, she is trying to teach him how to aim better, but I still think it's VERY inappropriate for her to touch him there at all. He is almost 5 and can use the bathroom independently for the past 2 years now. He also complains that he wakes up at night there and there is no one there. He has nightmares and lots of accidents after he returns from there and will not let me leave the room without him. Anyway, based on some of the things that he told the doctor and how he flipped out after he told her, (flipped a table, ran out of the room, became very violent and upset), she thinks that he has PTSD from things that happen at mom's and she called Children Services. They are coming to interview him this week. I filed for supervised visitation already and we have a hearing in a couple weeks. I'm just wondering how I can prepare and who I need to subpoena. Should I have one of his teacher's go? I have a visitation log from the past 2 years. She has missed over 150 visits and only had 24 in almost 2 1/2 years. I just want to be prepared. I can't afford a lawyer and I don't want to take things that I can't use or miss anything that I Should be using. Thanks
I'm raising an almost 5 year old non relative. He came to live with me when he was 2 days old. He was born in prison and I agreed to help his grandma take care of him until his mother was released from prison.It ended up just being me though. When he was 6 months old, mom got out of prison but chose not to take him. Long story short, she had very little to do with him and knew nothing about his special needs and would not take him to the specialist he needed to see. When he turned 2, I filed for custody. I was given physical and legal custody with mom having standard visitation and dad has been in prison the whole time and will be for the next year so he doesn't have visitation. Mom only shows up every couple months and has brought him back 3 times now with her smelling very strongly like alcohol. He points to the wine at the store and says that's the kind of Koolaide mom drinks and that the purple one tastes really bad. She previously admitted in court that she had tried to pick him up once after she had been out drinking all night and, "probably shouldn't have been driving". His special needs make it very difficult for him to be out of his routine so when she does show up out of the blue, it is very upsetting for him. His teachers always ask me if he has visited her after he returns because they say his behavior is very different in the days following the visits. He is violent and very emotional and clingy and calls himself stupid a lot. I get a lot of messages from mom and step mom that I obviously don't work with him because he should know his ABC's and colors by now. He has FASD though and it makes it difficult for him to retain new information. He is in a school for special needs kids and receives speech, OT, and special education there. I took him to the behavior clinic at Children't hospital and he told the doctor that step mom touches him when he goes to the bathroom and that she cusses at him and spanks him with his pants down. Honestly, I don't think she's molesting him. From what it sounds like to me, she is trying to teach him how to aim better, but I still think it's VERY inappropriate for her to touch him there at all. He is almost 5 and can use the bathroom independently for the past 2 years now. He also complains that he wakes up at night there and there is no one there. He has nightmares and lots of accidents after he returns from there and will not let me leave the room without him. Anyway, based on some of the things that he told the doctor and how he flipped out after he told her, (flipped a table, ran out of the room, became very violent and upset), she thinks that he has PTSD from things that happen at mom's and she called Children Services. They are coming to interview him this week. I filed for supervised visitation already and we have a hearing in a couple weeks. I'm just wondering how I can prepare and who I need to subpoena. Should I have one of his teacher's go? I have a visitation log from the past 2 years. She has missed over 150 visits and only had 24 in almost 2 1/2 years. I just want to be prepared. I can't afford a lawyer and I don't want to take things that I can't use or miss anything that I Should be using. Thanks