Once a child is in foster care, DSS must develop a permanency plan. Their first choice is usually to work with the child’s parents to resolve the safety issues so the child can go home. If that is not possible, they can consider another permanency option: allowing a relative to become the child’s custodian. This requires DSS to get a custody order from an NC Juvenile Court. A custody order does not require that the birth parent’s rights be terminated. However, it is usually better to ask for guardianship rather than custody because guardianship may provide you and the child more services and protection.