Should I attend court hearings?

While foster parents are not required to attend court hearings, attending hearings provides foster parents with the opportunity to hear directly what is going on with their child’s case and learn about any changes to the case plan. It is important for foster parents to know that it is common for a few hearings to be scheduled at the same time, so you cannot be certain exactly what time your case will be called into the courtroom nor can you be certain the exact length of time of your hearing. Some hearings last 5 minutes, and others can take more than an hour. Attending court hearings also provides foster parents with the opportunity to talk with the DCS Caseworker and the child’s GAL (Guardian Ad Litem) outside of home visits.