text: While the decisions to remove children from homes may be justified, the failure on the part of OCS to actively work towards reunification and the flat refusal to place them with family in many cases is not. My own family member had a child taken into custody and OCS failed to follow up on names of family given to them 3 days afterwards or notify those individuals whose names were given to them by the parent - in violation of federal law. They refused to return phone calls or allow family visitation. 
  
  After only 6 months the primary goal was changed to adoption and from that point forward the main focus was on the foster parents. Any family member who tried for placement was told they didn't have a bond with the child or knowledge of his medical needs. Duh! They shut us out of his life and then used it against us. 
  
  It should be against the law for the bond with foster parents to be placed above the rights of the child to be with their bio family. Period.