August 3, 2007: Our foster daughter is born positive for methadone (very high dose) and cocaine. Father is named and is suspected to be in central America, but makes no contact.

August 8, 2007: CPS places Cookie in our home for foster care pending the arrival of her maternal grandmother to take custody "in 2 weeks". We are told that the mother's prior child (a son) was removed and given to his biological father 9 years prior due to the same drug problem. CPS tells us that the mother's rights were terminated, but because she didn't fight this she was entitled to a case plan for Cookie. The family insists mom did not lose parental rights. When Cookie was born, mom had been fighting for visitation with this child but her drug problems were interfering.

late August, 2007: grandmother has not arrived. Cookie has one 2-hour visit with her mother every week. We set up an anonymous e-mail account to relay information to the mother quicker than going through the caseworkers. At this point, the mother's maternal aunt is receiving the e-mails, printing them and giving them to her although she does e-mail us once from the aunt's house to thank us and explain her side of what happened (unsolicited). We also print our e-mails out and send them for visits along with pictures. Cookie has an EEG to rule out convulsions (due to witnessed tremors and strange jerks) and sees the Infectious Disease doctor for baseline bloodwork for Hepatitis C (mother was positive for it). Infectious Disease doctor notes physical indicators of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

We spend out of pocket money when we need to change formulas due to allergic reaction.