Would the state take someone's child away?

Question

I have a friend who has diagnosed long time ago to be both borderline personality and bipolar. Now she's pregnant, would the government give her child away? In your personal opinion should they? or would the child be better off with it's bio mom dispite of mother's mental condition? She's single unable to hold any relationship with anyone

Answer 1

Friendship is a relationship. If you're her friend, she has a relationship with you. A mother/child relationship tends to have more of the same characteristics to a friendship than a child to romantic partner.

The only reason that they should take a child away is if they have reasonable reason to believe that the child is being abused or neglected. If she's caring for her baby and not shaking and hitting him/her, she should do fine.

Answer 2

I think they would probably maintain contact with her and ensure she is not harming, neglecting or hurting the baby in any way. It is best to keep families together when possible even though the circumstances may not be what we call ideal.

Child Protective Services can actually help her by ensuring she stays on her medication and that it is effective. If the mother is bipolar and the father is not the child has a 25% chance of also being bipolar. If the mother and father are both bipolar the odds increase ot 50%. They can also offer help with the child as the child grows up. Bipolar has been seen in very young children but the symptoms are not the same.

Answer 3

No they will not take the child away unless there is reason to believe that she is unable to care for it.

Children are nearly always better off with the biological parent unless that parent is unable to care for it. However, with bipolar, she also needs to have some kind of support system available if she is at a state where caring for her child is difficult. She should check with Social Services (even if she is not eligible for financial help) to see what options may be available for her. What about the father's family (if she has none?). Can they be there for her to take care of the child if she is having problems or to relieve some of the stress?

My sister has bipolar which does not respond well to drug therapy and has chosen not to have children (she has severe anger problems in her manic stage). Her first marriage would have ended whether she had bipolar or not, but then she married a great guy with adult children, so still gets to be a grandma. In both our city and her county, there used to be emergency babysitting available for just these kind of situations, but the Republicans axed that with their tax cuts and no religious organizations have chosen to fill the need. So, even if this is available, she needs to know that it may not be there a year from now.

I don't know enough about borderline personality disorder to even give a reasonable assessment on that. My sister is sortof the worst-case scenario. Many folks with bipolar don't have the severe and longer lasting problems that she has. She could actually manage just fine with a 7 year old, but an infant or toddler (someone you can't 'reason' with) is way too stressful for her.

Answer 4

Yes. If the state deems that the mother is too unstable, they can definitely take the child out of the home. It's not to say she won't get the child back. A court may order treatment before she can get it back. It stinks but it's for the childs sake if the mother cannot properly take care of it. The state/county does not find enjoyment in doing that. They do want to see the child and bio-mother reunited. They try very hard to make that happen. It depends on how much she wants her child back, though.

Answer 5

These two disorders are heavy hitting, still, that doesn't mean the state would step in and take the child. The questions are 1. is she taking her meds the way that she should and 2. is she or could she be putting the baby at risk of harm? The doctors that she is seeing now will keep a close eye on the situation and if they feel that the baby will be at risk you better believe that they will do something about it.

Answer 6

Wow! this is a hard one. I am speaking from experience...my mother had some mental disabilities and one of them is bi-polar...i didnt have a life ful or roses and chocolate. I lived a very abusive life, the medication for bi-polar and BLPD is very strong and you need to be diligent to take the meds.
Sometimes in situations like this a child is better off being away from the parent, there will be a high turnover of men in this womans life and she will not be able to keep a support system because friendships are very hard to keep as well.

I would have to say when it comes to stuff like this, it really depends on the support system and the help they are receiving.

Answer 7

I don't think they would remove the child (depending on the state), but I would hope children's services would get involved to help these parents start looking after their child's health.

Answer 8

Unless she has caused harm in the past or is a serious threat to he child or is in an institution they will not bother her, but if there is proof that she is harming her baby they will take it away and because of her condition, she may not get the baby back. If she is on meds as long as she is taking them she is fine.
The government does not look at relationship history to dtermine if a child is safe or not and the goal of CPS is to not only protect children but to keep families together.

Answer 9

I think they would need grounds to take the child - if she has a mental illness and is being treated I think they would leave the child. I think the state will have to analyze what is in the best interest of the child. I also think your friend should look at whether she is capable of rasing this child in a loving and safe environment.....It's a shame she is living with these mental illnesses. Best of Luck to all involved.

Answer 10

I dont think that they would/should take the child away unless they find her to be unable to provide for the child. Sometimes having a child can make a person better...so this may work to her advantage!