July 30, 2026
Hema Dey
Through Decisive Relative Placement Interventions
When children are removed from the home, the state often defaults to foster care, bypassing your family’s structural integrity.
Johnson Criminal Law Group executes decisive legal interventions under WIC 361.3 to prioritize relative placement. We override administrative indifference to secure family-based environments, preserving the child’s cultural connections and strengthening your position within the court-ordered reunification plan.
and Maintain Family Sanctity
Invoke California’s WIC 361.3 requirement and compel the court to prioritize family over foster care
Proactively vet relatives to ensure they meet “Safety and Stability” criteria so the state can’t object
Secure placements that include access to support services so the child stays in your family sphere
Preserve the structural integrity of your household and protect your child’s long-term well-being
Our firm conducts a proactive audit of these criteria to ensure the relative is positioned as the superior placement option before the state defaults to foster care.
Relative placement is a critical component of a successful court-ordered reunification plan. When a child is placed with family, it facilitates more frequent visitation and cooperation with family maintenance services. This proximity is often the determining factor in preventing the “drift” that leads to the state seeking a permanent alternative to parental care.
The law prioritizes grandparents, aunts, uncles, and adult siblings. However, the state’s investigative momentum often overlooks these family resources. We execute a Placement Motion to force the court to evaluate these family-based options, ensuring that your child remains within the family’s cultural and structural ecosystem rather than the state system.
Yes. Securing a stable relative placement is a sophisticated tactical move in a terminating parental rights defense. By keeping the child within the extended family, we create a legal environment that favors long-term guardianship over adoption by strangers. This preserves the legal “standing” of the family unit even during litigation.
We advocate for the relative’s placement as a superior alternative to foster care, addressing any “Safety and Stability” concerns the state may raise to block the family’s intervention.
