Rhode Island grandparents’ legal rights, guidelines, regulations, and rules of law allow you to ask for visitation, and temporary custody of your grandchildren. RI grandparents can also file for full custody, guardianship, or adoption, to raise their grand-kids, through a RI family law custody court judicial process. The proper legal advice, guidance, and strategies are key to ensure a successful outcome to any predicament regarding your grandchildren. Fortunately, studies have shown that the “Best Interests” for your grandchildren is that they have an active relationship with their grandparents. Grandfathers and grandmothers can often provide a healthier and more stable environment than the children’s biological parents. As a result, Rhode Island’s “Best Interest of the Child” guideline fully supports a grandparents’ rights for visitation and custody. The legal extent to which you can visit, provide, and support your grandchildren will need to be determined and approved through a RI family law court hearing litigation process.
Children are all too often kept from their grandparents, or exposed to abuse and neglect. Typically, most if not all of these circumstances
are completely out of their control. This unhealthy environment is a damaging situation for children’s emotional and physical well-being. Children often don’t have a voice to be heard, and it is our responsibility as grandparents to be that voice. A voice that defends, supports, protects, and cares for all grandchildren that so desperately need our help.
The Rhode Island Judicial Legal System Recognizes the Importance of Grandparents’ Rights Regarding Visitation and Custody of Grandchildren; and Fully Understands That Abuse and Neglect are Prevalent in RI Families.
RI family law fully acknowledges the ability for grandparents to provide a positive and stable environment. An environment, which is able to provide leadership, and a parenting platform so many children desperately need. Grandchildren even spending limited time with their grandparents can help provide the much-needed comfort and security that children require on a regular basis.
The situation grandchildren are exposed to varies greatly. Some are in a positive stable environment, and grandparents are simply denied access or may be allowed very limited contact with their grandchildren. The other end of the spectrum is a situation that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. If you can prove your grandchildren are being subjected to an abusive and neglectful environment, the Rhode Island judicial system will act quickly and forcefully on your behalf. Don’t think for one second that as grandparents your rights will be restricted or limited. Remember, the “Best Interest of the Children” is a standard that is fully recognized and supported in the state of Rhode Island.
If your grandchildren are in an abusive or neglected environment you may file a petition for a RI child protective proceeding. If abuse, neglect, or imminent danger exist, child protective services may enforce an emergency removal of the children and place them into protective custody. A child protective proceeding is typically followed by a number of court hearings. A fact-finding court hearing is set to determine if the allegations are true. A dis-positional hearing is set to decide what should be done if the child has been neglected or abused. Finally, a permanency hearing is set to determine and finalize the permanent placement and security of the children.
It’s important to recognize, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) was established to ensure that any
child custody litigation occurs in the child’s “home state”. The “home state” is defined as the last state where a child has lived for 6 consecutive months with a parent. This act was adopted to discourage parents from moving out-of-state in an attempt to manipulate the judicial system for whatever reason. Parental attempted kidnapping by moving children to another state or jurisdiction was one of the main reasons the UCCJEA was adopted.
Rhode Island Grandparents’ Legal Rights, Guidelines, Regulations, and Rules of Law Enable You to Defend Your Visitation Rights, Fight for Custody, or the “Best Interests” of Your Grandchildren Through RI Family Law.
The modification to your grandchild’s custody situation may be modified in Rhode Island on your behalf. In some cases it will be a temporary modification based on a continuing effort of both parents to SUCCESSFULLY overcome the obstacles that prevent them from retaining full custody again. Parents inability to provide a safe, stable, humane, and secure home environment can be due to many different factors, including but not limited to: (substance abuse, incarceration, mental health issues, anger management, poor leadership skill sets, endangerment, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, divorce, etc.). In other cases you may be awarded full custody. Often times, full custody comes with the option to legally adopt your grandchildren.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have no legal rights in the state of Rhode Island when it
comes to your grandchildren. RI family law will help ensure your grand-kids get what they deserve and need. Remember to focus your efforts on their “Best Interests” at all times. Your grandchildren will thank you when they are mature enough to realize the decisions and sacrifices you made for them and their future.
I cannot stress enough, the fact that grandchildren need their grandparents. For some grand-kids seeing their grandparents on a regular basis is the best option. Others need to be removed from a physically and emotionally damaging environment permanently. Grandparents are often the first and best option for children to find the stable and secure environment they desperately need and deserve. Check out the links below to help secure visitation with your grandchildren, or fight for the rights of someone who is unable to defend themselves.
- Click Here 😎 for a State-Specific GRANDPARENTS’ RIGHTS MANUAL, and a GRANDPARENTS GOING TO CUSTODY COURT TO ASSERT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS MANUAL. Both Contain State-Specific Laws, Regulations, Guidelines, and Strategies for Rhode Island (RI), and all Fifty States. All the Necessary Legal Forms and Paperwork are Included to Provide the Tools You Need to Secure Visitation, and an Appropriate Environment for Your Grandchildren.
- Click Here 😎 if You or Someone You Know Wishes to Create Their Own Professional Quality Visitation Schedule, Visitation Calendar, Parenting Plan Agreement, Expense Reports, and MUCH MORE. This Allows You to Track Actual Visitation Time and Expenses, Prepare for any Negotiation or Court Appearance, Save $$$… on Attorney Fees, Spend Less Time in Court, and More Time with Your Grandchildren or Children.
The time to act is now, because all children deserve the best that our society has to offer. As a Rhode Island grandparent you have rights. 
These rights enable you to request visitation, and also allow you to be a voice for someone who may desperately need your help and support. Life can come with many challenges, but if you believe that everything happens for a reason then life’s challenges will suddenly become an obstacle with a manageable solution. Don’t forget, Rhode Island grandparents’ legal rights, regulations, guidelines, and rules of law, regarding grandchild visitation and custody, were also legislated for guidance, advice, and strategies to support the “Best Interests of the Children” standard through RI family law.
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Grandparents’ Rights for Visitation, Custody, and Support
Grandparents' Visitation Rights and Custody Rights allow a legal request for visitation and temporary custody of grandchildren. Grandparents seeking full custody, to raise their grandchildren, have the authority to file for legal guardianship or adoption through a family law custody court hearing judicial process. Read More →
 Grandparents’ Rights for Visitation, Custody, and Support){kind=link}
Does the grandparent still need to go through DCYF? As this is not helping either. And the abuse and neglect is overlooked as long as the parents agree to counseling.
Yes, they always side with the parents – it appears to me that a child has to be seriously starved, seriously hurt, or killed before the system removes them. They really need to revamp the laws to protect children. I have a situation in my family where the parents( I call them sperm donors and carriers!), actually go after each other with their cars in front of the child, or with her in it, but its “hearsay,” Police have been to the house for domestic abuse, but no one is ever arrested, because the female wont press charges. He’s going to kill her! In front of his child. I’m sure the police are frustrated too. We are awaiting the phone call that one is dead and the other is in jail. That is the very obvious outcome in this situation. I really don’t care if this email goes to authorities. Maybe someone will actually DO something. We have a system of intellects dealing with morons, and they actually think they can get through to them! So who are the real morons?
Has anyone looked up the word “parent” in Webster, and other resources.. you know, the dictionary!!!! I have, and these 2 do not meet 1 criteria! The children are a porn, used as a weapon of control, and to take advantage of welfare, food stamps and other services that are free. I believe in these programs, but think people should be accountable, responsible, credible and required to attend support programs to continue to receive these benefits. Parenting classes should be mandated. I guess that’s just too simple of a solution! And if they don’t attend, take the children and place them with a family member until the “donors” comply!! Of course they won’t ( no one is going to tell them what to do!), but meantime, the child is now in a better place. Isn’t that what we are talking about here??? Our little girl is going to be 4. In the last 6 months of watching her parents fight, attack each other, throw things, break things, pull her out of bed at 3am to go chasing the other parent, this child has a new expression… FEAR – TRAUMATIZED – EXHAUSTION! But, oh, mommy and daddy love her and should keep her. I guess the rest of the family should have video cameras ready 24 hours a day.. Oh wait, no, their day starts around 12:00 noon, no work, they just can’t do THAT! Then fight till around 5AM, when the rest of us have to now get up after seeing all this, and we have to go to work!!! Video likely wouldn’t do it either. Invasion of their privacy, or something like that, from their attorney , HMM, PUBLIC DEFENDER!!
So, getting back to their day, child can forget breakfast – a donut hole at noon is good. Than, if they have any money, some greasy fries or chips in the afternoon is a good lunch. And what’s dinner??? Of course, if we are ALLOWED to see her, we can feed her real food. Have you ever seen a child who is so hungry they just shovel the food in for fear someone will take it?? I have. And I have to give her back to mommy or daddy, (if they remember to come to get her)
There is so much more to this story, but I sure hope this falls into the hands of a Judge or Child Advocate who can actually do something for these beautiful angels. Meantime, there are many broken hearted grand parents, aunts and uncles so willing to take these babies and PARENT THEM!!! And it starts with true unconditional, unselfish pure LOVE!
Lorraine Gazzerro
Thanks for the nice article. I have to side with Lorraine on her comments. I am also a grandmother who is worried sick about my granddaughter who lives with her sperm donor and his girlfriend, plus 4 other children. I am not allowed to see her anymore–per stepmother, because I called DCYF on them… which was a very stupid move, because I knew DCYF will not do anything for this child, but what do you do when a 12 year old child cries in desperation after speaking to her father, and asks you to please don’t let her go back to his house??? What do you do when this child tells you that she knows she is in trouble and that he will beat her up???? What did she ever do to have to endure all this abuse? It does not surprise me when DCYF tells me that they need to see fresh scars in order for them to do something. With their amazing track record it comes as no surprise that they will allow a child to languish in a place where she does not belong, and where she does not have a voice. But this grandma is not done fighting for her precious baby. You can count on that.