Question: Why does my foster child have to go to juvenile court? How often will I have to bring her to these court appointments?

Answer: Court can be intimidating for anyone not familiar with the process. Fortunately, there are clear guidelines to help you through that process. The juvenile court is required to hold hearings at least every six months to assess the child’s status and to review the parents’ progress in completing their reunification plan. There may also be interim hearings to consider issues that may arise between the regularly scheduled six-month hearings. Every child has the right to attend hearings in his or her case and, if the child is age 10 or older, the child is expected to attend the hearing unless the child does not wish to do so. It is the social worker’s responsibility to make sure that the child is able to attend the hearings in his or her case; it is the child’s attorney’s responsibility to determine whether the child wishes to attend a particular hearing. Hearings concerning the child may take place periodically over a period of a year or more, depending on the age of the child and the parents’ progress in completing their reunification plan. While the foster parent may not be required to bring the child to the hearing, it is generally a good idea for a foster parent who is considering providing a permanent home for the child to do so. This gives the court the opportunity to “meet” the foster parent and to see that the foster parent is committed to meeting the child’s needs. Most courts will allow the foster parent to be present at the child’s hearing, although there are some less enlightened courts that take the position that the proceedings are confidential from even the foster parent and who do not allow the foster parent to be present in the courtroom during the proceedings.