Kind of a small scale win with respect to MASS dfs (dept of family services) and guns / hunting.

[whacko]

So my brother and his wife are caring for their 12 year old nephew.......the poor kids mom is well......she's gonna be out of the picture for awhile. So dfs tool custody of him and my brother and his wife are his foster parents. That's the legal setup for now.

My brother had to have a dfs inspection before being listed as a foster home and all that. Guns were asked about.....the social worker needed to see how they were stored and was fine with the safe and everything. My brother has to get most "activities" approved by dfs and the kid loves fishing and boy scouts tbat my brother got him into this summer....and asked my brother if he can hunt with him this fall. My brother asked his social worker if he could go to a gun club with us to teach him gun safety then hunt and the guy said no way if there is an accident it'll be all over the news. So my brother told the guy he wants to bump it to the supervisor. The supervisor said get her a plan in writing on the safety, training, and where and what they'll be hunting and she'd consider it. He wrote up that he'd have him take the online hunter ed.....then go to the gun club with me and him to teach him safety and all that......then hunt small game this fall. The supervisor approved it! So I'll be hosting my brother and the young lad tomorrow to get him going on gun safety and initial marksmanship.

A small win. My brother never thought they would approve it but they did.

 

[The Anchor]

Great story and Kudo’s to you brother for pressing the issue

 

[sjohnston0311]

Certainly a win, but pretty unfuriating that he'd need to get permission from the state first. What would happen if he just did it without asking?

 

[Chappy7]

Good to hear that your brother took the time to jump through the hoops.

 

[whacko]

Certainly a win, but pretty unfuriating that he'd need to get permission from the state first. What would happen if he just did it without asking?

I'm no expert on the subject......but legally the boy is a ward of the state so most activities need approval. Even sending him to boy scout day camp needed approval.

As far as if he did it without approval......dfs could very easily take the kid and put him with another foster.

They are the boys aunt and uncle but not legal guardians.....yet. they are working on that but it takes time.

 

[Pipedope]

Good for you guys for taking care of this, so many kids never get people who step up for them and they fall through the cracks. It’s a tough enough age for kids anyway without all this other stuff. It’s great the kid has an interest in shooting and hunting, now he’ll learn from you people about safety and responsibility. He sounds like he’s a good kid, good luck to him and give yourselves a pat on the back for doing this.

 

[Reptile]

This kids is so lucky he has good foster parents.

Many end up being abused in foster homes with people that don't take care of them.

I always thought guns were totally prohibited in homes of foster families.

So, that being foster families can have guns is amazing.

Maybe not in OP's case, but some of those foster kids have been abused and have PTSD so a huge safe in the house may be a goal for one of those kids to get into. They are worth being saved but for a kid who is depressed or mentally ill - having guns may be a risk.

 

[ridleyman]

Good, but what gives the state that right. They are acting in loco parentis, as the parents, and should make all responsible decisions without state meddling in family business.

We need some gov't, but it seems like it does a lot more bad than good.

 

[whacko]

Good, but what gives the state that right. They are acting in loco parentis, as the parents, and should make all responsible decisions without state meddling in family business.

We need some gov't, but it seems like it does a lot more bad than good.

There is actually a reason that my brother and his wife are doing it as foster and not seeing to be gaurdians at this time.

This isn't the first nephew or niece that have raised due to the mother's neglect of her kids. Last time the mother fell off the wagon this boy went to live with his father and the older daughter went to live with my brother and his wife.....they sought for guardianship and won but it caused them nothing but headaches as the mother kept calling them.....showing up high and demanding they do certain things with "her kids".....even cost my brother a ton of money in legal fees to gain guardianship and the mother made things miserable. Well....this time the mom fell off the wagon the boys father is not in any condition to care for him either. So....now when the boys mother calls and bitches at them saying they are trying to "ruin the family" or "take her kids" they just tell her "we didn't take him the state did....and placed him with us" which is legally the truth.

So now that you know more of the story.......do you get it? They are allowing the state to be his guardianship and deal woth the dfs bullshit to make their lives a little easier in dealing with the kids mother.

 

[Picton]

Good, but what gives the state that right.

Probably a court order, I would guess. These kinds of proceedings are common in Family Court. See whacko's post just above; there's probably no perfect solution.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I'm no expert on the subject......but legally the boy is a ward of the state so most activities need approval. Even sending him to boy scout day camp needed approval.

An interesting risk comparison - chance of a gun range accident vs. chance of sexual abuse at summer camp. The former you can control; that later you cannot.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Good, but what gives the state that right. They are acting in loco parentis, as the parents, and should make all responsible decisions without state meddling in family business.

We need some gov't, but it seems like it does a lot more bad than good.

As opposed to "loco parents".

 

[whacko]

Probably a court order, I would guess. These kinds of proceedings are common in Family Court. See whacko's post just above; there's probably no perfect solution.

Correct. The state was taking the kid wether my brother and his wife would have taken him in or not. Best case was them volunteering to foster.....at least the boys with family.

 

[Picton]

Correct. The state was taking the kid wether my brother and his wife would have taken him in or not. Best case was them volunteering to foster.....at least the boys with family.

Sounds like they're doing their best by him. He'll benefit from that.

 

[whacko]

Update
The kid did fantastic.

20 minute lesson on the safety rules and he paid attention like his life depended on it! Asked plenty of valid questions and he was in no rush.....he wanted to learn all he could before we got to shooting.

Started with the 10 22 benched and he was drilling the bullseye at 25 yards on paper. Switched to letting him shoot steel spinners and clays on the berms and the kid was all smiles.

Moved to the 20 gauge shotgun with Clay's on the berm. You could tell it was a bit of a shock to him on the recoil but he did ask to keep shooting more but I wouldn't say he was "enjoying it". My brother talked to him and said keep in mind....your going to be starting out hunting squirrels so your not going to be shooting all day.....just 4 or 5 shots all day. I talked to my brother on the side and said he can borrow the 10 22 of you think that'll be better.....talked to the boy and he said he'd rather use the shotgun cuz he wants the best chances he can of being successful and doesn't want to miss ot wound any squirrels. No prob.

Then he went back to the 10 22 and I left plates and clays from 25 yard to 50 yards and he shot for a looooong time all smiles. As fast as we could load magazines he was shooting them up but not rapid fire he was very disciplined and made each shot count. Went through 800 rounds of 22lr

Hes gonna be just fine.

 

[ridleyman]

There is actually a reason that my brother and his wife are doing it as foster and not seeing to be gaurdians at this time.

This isn't the first nephew or niece that have raised due to the mother's neglect of her kids. Last time the mother fell off the wagon this boy went to live with his father and the older daughter went to live with my brother and his wife.....they sought for guardianship and won but it caused them nothing but headaches as the mother kept calling them.....showing up high and demanding they do certain things with "her kids".....even cost my brother a ton of money in legal fees to gain guardianship and the mother made things miserable. Well....this time the mom fell off the wagon the boys father is not in any condition to care for him either. So....now when the boys mother calls and bitches at them saying they are trying to "ruin the family" or "take her kids" they just tell her "we didn't take him the state did....and placed him with us" which is legally the truth.

So now that you know more of the story.......do you get it? They are allowing the state to be his guardianship and deal woth the dfs bullshit to make their lives a little easier in dealing with the kids mother.

I totally get and appreciate it. My question was more along a philosophical line.

 

[MAGA99]

Don’t ask, don’t tell

f*** the government

 

[AaronT]

Don’t ask, don’t tell

f*** the government

I hear you, but at the same time, if the kid let's slip to the social worker, they could lose the kid.

I walked a similar road with our daughters. We fostered to adopt through DFS in MA. You have to agree to allowing the social workers to have a lot of power to interfere in your life. If you don't agree, you don't get to be a foster/pre-adoptive parent.

We were foster to adopt, and by the grace of God, we finalized each adopting within 14 months of bringing the child into our home.