In California.
My 12yr old doesn't want to be adopted unless she still cannot come home to Mommy.
She was taken illegally by cps many years ago from her mother who has never stopped wanting and trying to get her back, but to no avail so far.
She has been in several different foster homes where she had been abused for a few years. So, since the foster parents that she is with currently do not abuse her, she is afraid that she will end up in another bad placement while she is waiting to someday be back with her loving mother.
My question is: What say so does she have now that she is older?

She has been pressured and intimidated into keeping the same self serving attorney that she has had since day 1 but has never listened to her. Last year the judge recommended filing an ab519 but that has to be done by her attorney who told her mother that she will never file that for her.

She has no say until she is 18.

Generally the state has pretty good reason to take kids away from parents.

If she's been abused in foster homes, she needs to report that to her social worker.

Why exactly has her loving mommy not regained custody at this point--many years is a long time for the state to want to keep paying for your child? And why was she taken in the first place?

Honestly--HER attorney is supposed to be looking out for her, and her alone. YOUR attorney is who is supposed to be on YOUR side.

So... what's the whole story here?

Yes, thank you, Synnen. You are right. The system is perfect and I should just let them do whatever they need to do to her.
How very insightful. You have an amazing intuition. Keep up the good work, Counselor.

I never said the system was perfect.

I said there was more to the story than you were telling us.

How about the WHOLE story this time, please?