Work out a plan of care for your child

When your case goes to court, the social worker must present a plan of care. This is a plan of how your child will be cared for during the court process and possibly after the court process is over.

The social worker may not ask you what you think should be in the plan of care. But you can offer your opinion at any time. Your lawyer can help you to talk to the social worker about what you think the plan should say.

For example, you can say you want your child cared for in these ways:

• stay at the same school
• not be separated from a sister or brother
• stay within your extended family, culture, and/​or community
• make sure your cultural practices are known and respected
• have a certain diet
• have certain kinds of medical care
• be with a family of a particular religion
• be with a family who’s positive about lesbian and gay relationships

It’s also important to keep the social worker up to date about any changes you make in your life that could affect your ability to care for your child. See When a social worker contacts you for more about a safety plan and examples of the kind of information you could give to the social worker.

Children 12 and older can be involved in making a plan of care that affects them. Sometimes, they can get help from a lawyer of their own. See Legal Help for how to get legal help for children.