Hello Everyone

[New Guy]

So normally my risk profile includes avoiding social media.  However after a brief introduction I would really appreciate some assistance.  As  my research is yielding little productive information.

 

so here goes we live in unincorporated Wilson County and raise livestock .  We are fortunate enough to have a range on our property.  And enjoy plinking as well as serious training.  My edc is a STI Lawman which has had Trijicon HD sights put on it , ridge cuts in the top of the slide and ceracoted black slide and OD green frame, bug is a P365 ankle carry weather permitting and pocket carry in the summer, I refuse to be that guy that ankle ,carries wearing shorts.

 

Now my question if anyone would care to offer up advice or perhaps may have some experience with dealing with DCS.  We have recently jumped through extensive hoops and a rather extensive invasion of privacy to get this far.  We had an initial home study writer that was demanding not only were the firearms to be locked in a safe, no problem there we do that any way, however she was insisting on recording the actual number of firearms we own and recording serial numbers.  At that point we were like ok you won you have not only missed appointments with us failed to show up for meetings etc now we were at our breaking point and said no we are out. Youn have successfully driven us away, we can help in some other way.  
 

Well about a week later we get a call from DCS wanting to know why we withdrew.  Well we told them that we were not going to participate in a an illegal gun registry!  We were then informed that the former Study writer had gone completely off the reservation and other than looking in the safe there was no requirement to record serial numbers.  They asked us to reconsider .  Understanding that both my wife and I have clearances that involve far more invasive background checks , than the cursory checks done by dcs.

We had our follow up phone call with a new study writer and she wants to come out to visit in person as we have done the online interviews.

We were thinking of simply leaving the two shotguns and our Henry 22lr in the safe. To be exact she asked how many firearms we owned, I don’t see the relevance to this question?  And technically other than my STI my other 1911 is issues not owned so there is that.

 

any advice would be appreciated 

[Chucktshoes]

Welcome, and while I am not in any way going to be of help with your particular predicament, I suspect @Alleycat72 may have the insight you seek. 

[New Guy]

1 hour ago, Chucktshoes said:

Welcome, and while I am not in any way going to be of help with your particular predicament, I suspect @Alleycat72 may have the insight you seek. 

Thank you. 

[A.J. Holst]

Welcome aboard!

I hope tgo is a resource for your question.

 

Edited August 4 by A.J. Holst

[Alleycat72]

With guns, we were asked if we had guns. The answer was yes. It was never brought up again. During the home study, she never asked. She did look at the safe for about 5 seconds and check a box on her list. That was all. They would not get an inventory from me. 

This has been several years ago and I'm not up on all the current laws however my Wife has to deal with DCS due to her job and she's never heard of this. 

Now for reality:

DCS will tell you one thing then tell you the opposite 5 seconds later. They will tell you to do things that can and will violate the child's rights. They will advise you to do things not in your or your child's best interest. They are not evil or malicious, it's just incredibly hard to keep people in the job long enough for them to learn the job. Imagine spending every day seeing the worst things that can happen to children. That doesn't excuse them. It does let me use a bit of patience with them. You will find people that have been there a long time are different. They have to be. Always stick up for yourself and your kids. You both deserve it.

They need you more than you'll ever need them. They make it seem as if they have all the power. You have more authority than you think. If something isn't right, call it out. You will have a case worker, your kids will have a case worker, and the kids will have a lawyer. That lawyer is you best friend. Don't get me wrong, the lawyer can hammer you also. They are beholding to no one. 

Don't give up if this is what you want to do. You'll need to be a PITA. There's other things you'll need to know, but that comes after you're in the pipeline. 

 

[New Guy]

7 hours ago, Alleycat72 said:

With guns, we were asked if we had guns. The answer was yes. It was never brought up again. During the home study, she never asked. She did look at the safe for about 5 seconds and check a box on her list. That was all. They would not get an inventory from me. 

This has been several years ago and I'm not up on all the current laws however my Wife has to deal with DCS due to her job and she's never heard of this. 

Now for reality:

DCS will tell you one thing then tell you the opposite 5 seconds later. They will tell you to do things that can and will violate the child's rights. They will advise you to do things not in your or your child's best interest. They are not evil or malicious, it's just incredibly hard to keep people in the job long enough for them to learn the job. Imagine spending every day seeing the worst things that can happen to children. That doesn't excuse them. It does let me use a bit of patience with them. You will find people that have been there a long time are different. They have to be. Always stick up for yourself and your kids. You both deserve it.

They need you more than you'll ever need them. They make it seem as if they have all the power. You have more authority than you think. If something isn't right, call it out. You will have a case worker, your kids will have a case worker, and the kids will have a lawyer. That lawyer is you best friend. Don't get me wrong, the lawyer can hammer you also. They are beholding to no one. 

Don't give up if this is what you want to do. You'll need to be a PITA. There's other things you'll need to know, but that comes after you're in the pipeline. 

 

Thank you we have put up with a lot of …. From having to listen a  rabidly anti trump podcast that was playing in the background while she was teaching the materials.  I was the only one that asked her to mute it because I was not here to listen to her politics I was  here to complete the class.  I don’t care if she wants Bugs bunny for President it’s not relevant.

 

i think the only reason the local dcs worker reached out to us is because I was a pia, and did not tolerate coming home early  from work two times for the home study meeting in which she cancelled 5 minutes prior to start time.

Her response was we will reschedule and understand Fostering is a privilege!

That was the last straw 

 

[FUJIMO]

Howdy

[Alleycat72]

So....remember everything is a test....

If you have 30 people in your class, less than half will make it. I had one that asked me to describe a situation where a person did something that made me proud to be a member of my race. There is one one right answer for that question. 

I'll ask you a question I was directly asked. 

If a child was living with you for a year and after that year DCS sent you to a observed visitation with the child's biological father how would you handle it?

1: knowing dad was arrested for sexualy abusing the child. 

2: knowing mom was arrested for knowing about it and not reporting it.

3: dad's been a bit violent about it.

4: both are combative with you because you have the kids. 

What would you do?

What if they didn't do it?

You will also take days off. Drive for two hours for a visit mom. She will be a no show and you’re so new you actually told your kid they were going to see mom. The disappointment in their eyes will break you down. 

You will get a newborn. That child will be with you for years. You'll take him to his 1st T-ball game. You are the only Mother and Father he knows.....then.....bo-mom or dad...gets their act together. Your ordered to give your child to a stranger. There's a bunch leading up to that. You know it's coming, but.......they are gone, and that's how it is supposed to work. 

You have to be able to let everything roll of you back in the moment. You will be called horrible things you you face. You have to control yourself. 

I've been in court with a man that got 28 years. He was in handcuffs, strapped to a wheelchair, and legs bound. One armed guard with their hands on his shoulders. One man between him and us with his hand on his handgun. Armed officers next to us. We were to look at a particular officer and the meeting was over. That officers job was to look at us the entire time. The dad was 6'4" monster that looked like an man. What he said was the thing. He wanted to be notified when his Daughter passed away and he thanked us. He told us how much he appreciated what we were doing. I allowed him to see his Daughter stand.(something we were told she'd never do)I was the last time he will ever see her. I've never seen so many hard men crying. 

[New Guy]

Sounds like you have seen a lot.  We keep asking our selves if it’s going to be worth the headache and we hope that we can make a difference .  We most likely will be getting a placement that is a middle school age child.  We are told that is the biggest need right now. 
 

Have to say it’s a bit odd talking about fostering on a Gun Owners forum, guess we are destroying the narrative that all gun owners are evil terrible people.  

[MacGyver]

Glad you're here!

[Alleycat72]

On 8/5/2024 at 9:40 PM, New Guy said:

Sounds like you have seen a lot.  We keep asking our selves if it’s going to be worth the headache and we hope that we can make a difference .  We most likely will be getting a placement that is a middle school age child.  We are told that is the biggest need right now. 
 

Have to say it’s a bit odd talking about fostering on a Gun Owners forum, guess we are destroying the narrative that all gun owners are evil terrible people.  

You can save lives and change the trajectory of others. It may not be the individuals you'd imagine, but you will be in a position to do so. It will be hard. It will cost you time, money, and a bit of your sanity. I sometimes get a bit argumentative on this forum because I can't do it at home. I'd like to think some give me a bit of a pass, but I'll fight like he'll for my kids or even yours. 

[Pain103]

Maybe I missed it in your first post but after reading Alleycat72's response, I assume you are trying to become foster parents? If so, if you take in those children and love and care for them you are a hero. I've seen too many foster parents just collecting a check and kids run off or worse. As far as DCS, I have worked many cases that involved DCS also and I can tell you in my personal opinion I've met more bad than good in that agency. Some of my bad experiences with them including improperly pulling a child out of class to ask them about being raped, DCS refusing to take a baby after a search warrant where used heroin syringes were in the baby's crib, and a child death that should have been prevented.  

 

That being said each county or field office seems like they have different attitudes and care level. I would assume you are probably dealing with more administrative "Nashville" employees and probably why they act the way they do. I would assume they would ask if you owned firearms and if they were stored securely so a child couldn't access them but that would be the most asked about it. No reason anyone needs to know the number of firearms and especially the serial numbers. 

If the foster parent route doesn't work out have you thought about just adopting. I've been hearing more lately about people adopting through church organizations versus the way many people use to adopt from China or Russia.

[New Guy]

3 hours ago, Pain103 said:

Maybe I missed it in your first post but after reading Alleycat72's response, I assume you are trying to become foster parents? If so, if you take in those children and love and care for them you are a hero. I've seen too many foster parents just collecting a check and kids run off or worse. As far as DCS, I have worked many cases that involved DCS also and I can tell you in my personal opinion I've met more bad than good in that agency. Some of my bad experiences with them including improperly pulling a child out of class to ask them about being raped, DCS refusing to take a baby after a search warrant where used heroin syringes were in the baby's crib, and a child death that should have been prevented.  

 

That being said each county or field office seems like they have different attitudes and care level. I would assume you are probably dealing with more administrative "Nashville" employees and probably why they act the way they do. I would assume they would ask if you owned firearms and if they were stored securely so a child couldn't access them but that would be the most asked about it. No reason anyone needs to know the number of firearms and especially the serial numbers. 

If the foster parent route doesn't work out have you thought about just adopting. I've been hearing more lately about people adopting through church organizations versus the way many people use to adopt from China or Russia.

Well we had our home study visit tonight it went well.  It was not nearly as invasive as I was expecting. She still wanted to see inside the safe but we set very clear boundaries upfront in that she was not  going to come into our home and have free run.

 

My wife is a teacher so she gets to see a lot of foster kids which seems odd for being in a middle to upper class area.  We came to find out that the initial home study writer was not comfortable in rural areas.  
 

I have had professional interactions with our case worker in the past, so we know each other and have a good rapport.  She is a good person and is one of the few that cares about the kids.