When you mention child custody, most people envision two parents pitted against one another in a battle to “win” parenting time and rights. In reality, however, some child custody issues in Florida follow a very different pattern. There are certain cases in which parents have to make incredibly difficult choices to do what is best for their kids, even if that means relinquishing custody to the state.
When a child is adopted, the parents are often unaware of the challenges the child faced prior to placement, or even while in utero. That can lead to unexpected behavioral issues, some of which can be almost unbearable. When parents are faced with a child who is violent, abusive or dangerous to other members of the family, there are often few options that can make things better.
These families often go through years of therapy, medications and sometimes even juvenile detention in an effort to find relief. In certain cases, however, none of these efforts will yield the desired improvements. That leaves parents faced with a heart-wrenching decision about how to safeguard the family as a whole while trying to get help for their troubled child. Institutional care is often the only answer, but is financially out of reach for most Florida families.
In some instances, the only solution lies in placing a child back into foster care, which also places him or her back into the custody of the state. At that point, the state assumes responsibility for the child’s care, and can place the child into the appropriate facility to work toward behavioral improvements. That is never an easy decision, and one that can have far-ranging repercussions. Florida families facing these types of challenges should always work with a skilled family law attorney prior to initiating the process of placing a child in the custody of the state.
