Anonymous wrote:When my oldest was born, I had a medical emergency (infection after the C section) and had to be re-admitted to the hospital the day after we had been discharged. They (hospital) wouldn't allow my baby to be admitted with me, so he had to stay home. It was awful, I was in the hospital for 4 days without my newborn.

My husband was active duty military at the time, so he was able to care for the baby. But being military, I knew many women who had given birth when their husbands were deployed, and they lived far away from family. I asked the hospital staff what would happen in that case? If my husband was deployed and I had no family/friends nearby, would they have allowed my baby to stay with me? They said no, in that case they would call cps and the baby would be put in foster care.

I just realized the way I worded that was unclear. I forgot to put the bolded: My husband was active duty military at the time, but was home, so he was able to care for the baby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are also emergency shelters and emergency foster parents for situations like this. The kids are not being placed in foster care-they are being cared for in a vetted environment until other something is worked out. A lot of the time they’re probably sitting around in the hospital for hours until social services figures out what’s happening.

Poster with partner who works in an ED. This is exactly what happens.

Police/EMS first check phone for emergency contact and/or start calling numbers, assuming the phone is unlocked.

If not, police hand off to hospital social worker, simultaneously hospital social worker checks parents past medical files/insurance company for emergency contact while working with police to establish next of kin. If that can’t be determined/reached, the child is then temporarily placed with an emergency foster care family until family/friend can be found, but then it becomes more difficult to move the child back to family.

They are NOT sitting around the hospital for hours and hours (a couple, sure, but that’s only in the event *someone* can be reached and is coming for the child.)

I meant to add, PLEASE contact your insurance company and request an emergency contact be added to your profile. And I like the suggestion of an emergency contact card on your person in the event you keep your phone locked.

Anonymous wrote:There are also emergency shelters and emergency foster parents for situations like this. The kids are not being placed in foster care-they are being cared for in a vetted environment until other something is worked out. A lot of the time they’re probably sitting around in the hospital for hours until social services figures out what’s happening.

Poster with partner who works in an ED. This is exactly what happens.

Police/EMS first check phone for emergency contact and/or start calling numbers, assuming the phone is unlocked.

If not, police hand off to hospital social worker, simultaneously hospital social worker checks parents past medical files/insurance company for emergency contact while working with police to establish next of kin. If that can’t be determined/reached, the child is then temporarily placed with an emergency foster care family until family/friend can be found, but then it becomes more difficult to move the child back to family.

They are NOT sitting around the hospital for hours and hours (a couple, sure, but that’s only in the event *someone* can be reached and is coming for the child.)

When my oldest was born, I had a medical emergency (infection after the C section) and had to be re-admitted to the hospital the day after we had been discharged. They (hospital) wouldn't allow my baby to be admitted with me, so he had to stay home. It was awful, I was in the hospital for 4 days without my newborn.

My husband was active duty military at the time, so he was able to care for the baby. But being military, I knew many women who had given birth when their husbands were deployed, and they lived far away from family. I asked the hospital staff what would happen in that case? If my husband was deployed and I had no family/friends nearby, would they have allowed my baby to stay with me? They said no, in that case they would call cps and the baby would be put in foster care.

What happens if they can’t reach anyone? Or someone just takes the children?

There are also emergency shelters and emergency foster parents for situations like this. The kids are not being placed in foster care-they are being cared for in a vetted environment until other something is worked out. A lot of the time they’re probably sitting around in the hospital for hours until social services figures out what’s happening.

Anonymous wrote:Are children put into temporary foster care?

Example - Someone lives alone with their toddler and elementary aged children in a different state from family and friends but has a heart attack or stroke and needs to be hospitalized. Where would their young children go? Would hospital staff stay with them or does social services place them immediately?

why are you asking? Maybe make a plan with neighbors/friends if that happens to you

Anonymous wrote:Is everyone here just guessing based on TV shows

No. My partner works at a hospital.

This is why I always carry a little card in my wallet or on my person that reads:

If I’m injured!!!

I have a child at Wonka Elementary school named Veruca Salt

Our address is 123 Maple Ln

Please call Jenny at 867-5309 and inform them I am hurt and my child is alone

Kids have emergency contacts at school and daycare. If the parent is incapacitated during the day and school/daycare can’t reach the parent, they call the emergency contacts.

If they’re all together and the parent is incapacitated and the kids unharmed, emergency responders will try to locate next of kin. Foster care is a drastic step.

Also: single parents I know plan for these scenarios because they don’t want their kids going to foster care.

Is everyone here just guessing based on TV shows

the police and/or hospital calls in social services. Social services decides what is in the best interests of the children. You see this all the time on Law & Order and other crime shows

Anonymous wrote:Very very rare for a person with a young child to have a heart attack or stroke and usually people in the school would are up if no one else is available.

NP but really? Ok. A car accident and is unconscious, then. Hit by a car and unconscious. A serious fall and is being rushed to surgery. And in each of these scenarios, the children are with the mom.

How would the hospital staff know which school the kid goes to, immediately? They wouldn’t. And there isn’t time for that. Social services would be called and the child would be placed. Things would be figured out from there.

Very very rare for a person with a young child to have a heart attack or stroke and usually people in the school would are up if no one else is available.

Are children put into temporary foster care?

Example - Someone lives alone with their toddler and elementary aged children in a different state from family and friends but has a heart attack or stroke and needs to be hospitalized. Where would their young children go? Would hospital staff stay with them or does social services place them immediately?