<div>We are fundraising for the Parekh Family to help cover the legal costs that have been incurred from the fostering and adoption process of their youngest son, Chase. The Parekh Family is an amazing, incredibly selfless, and humble family that has opened their home and hearts to the most vulnerable children among us. Fostering is not for the fainthearted as it entails caring for children that have undergone significant trauma, many doctor's appointments, home visits from DFCS, court dates, as well as massive upheaval of daily life each time they say "yes" to a new foster child. The Parekhs have taken in a number of foster children over the years and have done so with much love and care. The Parekhs have been tenacious advocates for all of the foster children in their care, fighting to ensure that the children's best interests are being looked out for. In order to protect their most recent foster child (now soon to be adopted son) and their family, the Parekhs hired an attorney out of pocket. This is why we are asking for your support today as we help the Parekh family cover the legal costs associated with the fostering and adoption process of their son, Chase. 
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<div>The following is a letter from Patricia Parekh detailing their adoption journey:
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<div>Dear Family and Friends,
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<div>In 2017, our home was officially announced “open” for accepting foster placements, and we accepted our first placement that same day! Over the next 3 years, we were blessed to welcome 5 different placements into our home, and despite the unique challenges that came with each case, we loved the journey we were on. Then on May 31st, 2020, we received a call that would forever change our lives. A 6-week-old baby boy named Chase needed a placement. This was not an unusual call to receive, but what would follow over the course of the next three years is what brings us to this point today of humbly asking for your financial help.
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<div>As is typical for a child in foster care, Chase had visitations with biological family members. And is also the case, there were multiple family members that would pop up and then disappear, which creates an inconsistent and chaotic visitation schedule. Per their own policy, The Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) attempts to alleviate this stress by providing the foster family with a written visitation plan and allowing them to participate in visitation planning. We were afforded neither of those things, so on September 22, 2021, we sent an email to Chase’s DFCS case worker and her supervisor, requesting better communication regarding visitations along with a written visitation plan. The case manager was not happy with our request. We asked if we could meet to discuss the situation so we could move forward amicably. We received no response from either the case worker or her supervisor, but their treatment of us from that point forward was markedly different, and over the next two years what can only be described as retaliatory behavior ensued.
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<div>There were veiled threats and accusations made against us, but since there was never any actual wrongdoing on our part, all they could do was attempt to plant a seed of doubt in people’s minds. We made multiple attempts with the department to rectify the situation, but each time we reached out it got worse. By January 2022, the department’s behavior reached the point where they were not only threatening our family, but they were also making decisions that were putting Chase at risk. Their accusations were no longer veiled, and their bullying tactics reached a point where we were concerned that not only would they remove Chase, but we feared they would also attempt to take our 3 biological children as well. We knew we had to do something to protect the child in our care as well as our entire family.
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<div>There are no lawyers that we could find who promote themselves as foster family advocates because they know we virtually have no rights, but by the grace of God we were put in touch with an attorney who was willing to at least speak with us. She agreed to help direct us and give us advice, working as more of a consultant, but not having direct communication with DFCS. She was honestly not sure if we were being completely accurate in our assessment of things. Less than a week of digging into our case, she came out of the background and made a call to DFCS to let them know we had representation.
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<div>Reunification with a biological family member was not a viable option for Chase, and a testimonial from a licensed mental health professional in court stated that Chase should remain in his current placement, yet in March of 2023 DFCS pushed to have him uprooted and moved to a new foster home. An emergency hearing was called. At every previous court hearing over the course of the past 3 years, Chase’s case worker testified under oath that Chase was safe and well cared for in our home, but we knew this hearing would be different. We now had someone whose voice could actually be heard. We were standing up to the bully, and we knew they would be on the defensive and on the attack. On March 30, 2023, after two court sessions totaling 10 long hours (in which we were indeed attacked quite brutally), the judge ruled that:
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<div>“The Court further finds that the Department’s proposed change of placement is a failure by DFCS to make reasonable efforts to finalize the permanency plan in effect.”
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<div>“DFCS Policy 17.11 states DFCS shall file for termination of parental rights whenever a child has been in DFCS custody for fifteen of the past twenty-two months. Chase has been in DFCS custody for nearly three years. He has lived with the Parekhs for thirty-four months. It appears to this Court that the only way this child is going to achieve permanency is by getting out of the custody of the Department.”
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<div>Furthermore, she called their decision to “take Chase away from the only family he has ever known…unreasonable and callous.”
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<div>“It appears the Department has been retaliating against the foster home for asking for a written visitation schedule and better communication with the case manager. This is unreasonable.”
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<div>Chase was removed from the department’s custody that day, and we were granted temporary custody. As far as we know that has never happened in the state of Georgia! It was a monumental ruling!
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<div>Unfortunately, it has also come with a monumental price tag that we were not prepared for. Because the Court was in unchartered territory, things have moved forward cautiously, and we continue to accumulate legal fees as we navigate the next steps. Up to this point, we have accumulated almost $30,000 in legal fee debt, and we are still not done. We achieved Permanent Legal Guardianship on January 31st, 2024 and are now in the process of filing for adoption. We have juggled and stretched the budget to its breaking point and are now struggling to pay the legal debt back much less afford the adoption.
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<div>So, with all humility and a beggar’s heart, we are seeking help from those who are able to give. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this snapshot of our journey! We are incredibly grateful to those who are able to give, and to those who keep us in their prayers. We don’t believe that we were allowed to live through this trial just for it to end here. It is our sincere belief that we were meant to fight to bring to light the manner in which faithful, good foster homes are often treated. And with your support, we will be able to put all of this behind us and move on to advocating for other foster families and the children in their care!
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Carissa Williams

Anonymous

Mike Stapleton

James Barket

ns CMike McCollum

John Marasi

Wilson Arockiasamy

Hart and Vanessa Traylor

Christi Cantu

Denisse Toro

Our Foster Care Journey

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Our Foster Care Journey

Still $21,805 to go. Help us build momentum.