Aunties rights with Nephew in foster care

kittenpaws2322

Hello Good morning I just wanted some advice,  My nephew was taken away from parents with social services , he's been placed into main foster care and they are looking at adoption as family assements have failed to care for him. 
Parents have also failed there Cubass assement so LA have more rights now to make decisions , but parents still have parental responsibility over him. I have asked to be respite care for my nephew to keep in contact and give as much as I can before adoption but social services has informed the foster parent to reduce contact with me. Why is this there is no reason i can't see him when I've had contact all through the court process,  and court isn't finalised until next year
Can I apply for a court contact order as an auntie , what more can I do seems like social services are trying to push tne family out. 
Any advice wil be much appreciated not getting any answers from support workers
Thanks 

elsien

You probably need legal advice on this one. It is possible for extended family to apply for contact, but that’s about the best interest of the child not about what you want.
So you probably need to have a think about why they are cutting that contact - Do they consider that there is a risk from you supporting the child to still meet the parents or influencing the child. 

Not saying that you would, but that may be the perception and you are the only one here who knows those relationships and what they mean. 

kittenpaws2322

Thankyou for your advise Elsien 
I had contact since he was born and my contact was never supervised just go every other weekend to maintain stability and contact with him and a relationship so no concerns regarding me as a risk to him. 
The parents and I have a distance relationship also so there would never be any influence towards the parents. 
All was going well up until this month when the social worker just told the foster carer to miminsise contact and now she is denying this has been said but we have it all in messages. Just before I do apply for a court contact order just wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. 

elsien

The other slightly less nuclear option might just be to put your questions in writing to them. Pointing out of the contact that you’ve had till now, Any problems for the child so far and the benefits it brought them has brought them, and asking for clarification around contact moving forward and how this might be impacted by the adoption process.

Ask for a response in writing, and if they do have any concerns that you would be happy to discuss further to see what can be done to mitigate them.

bouicca21

How old is the child? Have adoptive parents been chosen?  Does OP want to adopt him?

kittenpaws2322

I have  raised my feeling's and concerns , and stated what the best interests are for him which is to still have a bond with Me as an auntie until adoption or the court proceedings are finalised. 
But they are trying to push me out , saying that now I need to always ask for contact with him. 

Bouicca21 he is only 4 , so we have that bond and he looks for me and is happy when we have time together , adoptive parents haven't been chosen its just another option for the future.
Right now he's just in a foster care placemat awaiting to go back to parents. 

I just feel that since he's been taken to the placement they are trying to cut ties with his family,  when I want to try and see him as much as I can before adoption is the option. 

sheramber

Things they may be considering.

Are your visits unsettling him in the foster home? 

Is he upset when you leave?

Is it a good idea to have a lot of contact then disappear after he is adopted? 

elsien

It doesn’t automatically that follow all contact with the wider extended family would end after an adoption. It can  be in the child’s best interest for that to continue directly or indirectly.