Do you know what would happen to your kids in the event anything ever happened to you and you couldn't take care of them?
The answer may shock you.
You may be shocked to learn that in an emergency, the first place your kids could be taken is foster care until a family member can be located, you are well enough to tell someone who you would want to take care of your kids, or until a judge could decide who should take care of your kids.
The experience of one family illustrates what could happen to your kids if anything ever happened to you.
On July 31, 2006, Melanie and Casey Barber and their three sons ages 3, 5, and 8 were involved in a car accident while on vacation. A tire separated and their van rolled on the highway. Melanie and Casey died, their three sons survived. After being released from the hospital, the boys spent time in foster care until a judge determined which family member would take care of them while the court was sorting through who should be their long tern guardian, since Melanie and Casey did not have anything in writing.
If anything ever happened to you, your children could be taken into child protective services, foster care, until a judge determined who the guardians for your kids should be.
If you want to make sure your children are never taken into the arms of strangers in an emergency, then the first step in getting a plan in place to legally protect your children is to prepare a family emergency response plan.
Are your children legally protected in an emergency? If not, then you need a family emergency response plan.
