We Have Court Tomorrow... Or We're Supposed To...

So, just because nothing can go too easily or it would just be boring :-), we have a little bit of a snag hitting for tomorrow's termination trial.

One of the attorneys involved raised a stink today because the DNA paternity tests on the dads have not come in yet. She is saying we can't do trial until that comes in, just to dot the i's and cross the t's. Now, no one seems to have figured out so far this morning if the tests aren't in because they haven't been processed at the Attorney General's office, or because the dads have not gone to do them (again... for the third or fourth time they've been court-ordered to do so).

The girls' caseworker and lawyer are going to fight to push through and have the trial as scheduled tomorrow. As the lawyer said, if they waited for dads to follow through on paternity tests for every case, most every kid would age out of the system first before that ever happens. The caseworker said that the fathers have been non-compliant and absent the entire time anyway, and were going to be terminated on, whether they were alleged fathers or legal fathers or actual fathers. The dads have had this entire time (almost 11 months) to get their kids back, and if neither has even made the effort to do a cheek swab for a paternity test, they are not serious (or not serious enough) about attempting to get their kids back. Neither dad has ever attended a visit, or court beyond the first initial hearing in the fall, and don't even respond to messages from the caseworker or attorney.

The caseworker and lawyers are going to light fires at the DA's office to get the paperwork processed today if the tests have been done, and to put pressure on other lawyers to go ahead with the trial, as the plan is to terminate anyway regardless of which father is the father of whom.

Just stinks that the other lawyer is doing this the day before trial, but we know how these things go. Everyone tries to scramble at the end.

We may not have any birth parents at court tomorrow. Not a lot of contact has been happening between any of the three parents and the caseworkers/lawyers. It's very sad that this happens, but as it gets closer to termination, usually the parents get really desperate or they give up and fade away. It is impossible to ignore thinking about what they may be feeling and going through at this point, as it all sinks in that this is REAL and not a game. I'm praying really hard for peace and comfort and serenity for all of us, but I especially feel for what's happening to the three of them this week. (Regardless of how invested they are /  have been during this year.)

Prayers that the whole group will agree to go through and hear out the entire trial tomorrow, instead of postponing it until tests come in (which could be months if we leave it to the dads to follow through). Whether it's the dads who aren't following through or the Attorney General's office procrastinating, it doesn't change the fact that the plan has been to terminate the parental rights of both dads at the trial, whenever it is and whoever it is.

Anyway, we'll keep y'all up to date with what we know! Hopefully we hear good news today about going ahead tomorrow! Trying (and somewhat succeeding!) to keep calm! :-) God's got it! 

Que sera, sera! 

Love you all! Thanks for the support!