Relative Placement
Assisting family members in securing placement and asserting their rights in dependency court.
The Preference for Family
When a child is removed from their parents’ custody, California law mandates a strong preference for placing the child with relatives or extended family members rather than strangers in foster care. Keeping a child within their family helps maintain vital bonds, preserves cultural ties, and significantly minimizes the trauma of removal. However, being a relative does not guarantee automatic placement. Family members must navigate a complex bureaucratic system, including the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process, extensive background checks, and rigid home environment assessments.
Overcoming Bureaucratic Hurdles
Unfortunately, social workers can be slow to assess relatives or may unjustly deny placement based on minor past criminal infractions, misunderstandings about housing requirements, or simple bureaucratic delays. If you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or adult sibling seeking to care for a young family member, we can help. We assist relatives in formally requesting placement, appealing RFA denials, and filing “De Facto Parent” motions to ensure your voice—and your desire to care for the child—is heard directly by the judge.
Why Immediate Action is Critical
- Expediting Placement
We push the Department to prioritize your home assessment and fight the bureaucratic delays that needlessly keep children in foster care.
- RFA Denials & Appeals
If your Resource Family Approval is denied, we aggressively appeal the decision and present mitigating evidence to clear your record.
- De Facto Parent Status
We help devoted caregivers obtain official legal standing in court, allowing them to participate in hearings and advocate for the child’s best interests.