Anyway Ann prior to talking to any lawyer, best to have a short descriptive timeline of events for them. You can either prepare it beforehand or pay them to sit there while you talk it all out to them (so prepare it before then
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Also it will be best if you IMMEDIATELY put the baby in some enrichment programs. Not daycare per se (unless she is already at day care) but pre school, church programs. Park District art. YMCA sports things or tumbling. If you feel that you can take her to church regularly and get involved there.
This process is about appearances and self-control. You must always keep your emotions in check, answer only the questions that are asked, and everything you must say is "in <child'sname> best interests." Don't call her "my grandchild." Call her by her name. This is a semantics issue that is very much a hot button with judges. They do not care for the attitude that kids are thought of as property.
If you don't know where your daughter is, make no attempt to contact her. If you are asked where she might be, say you have no idea. It is very possible with an aggressive lawyer you can have an emergency order in a couple of days and a permanent order is typically after a year.
The longer you have her, the more likely you are to keep her. Measure in days, then weeks. Then I was happy when it was 1 year, then shocked when it was 5. Now he will be graduating HS and it has been 10 years. I can't imagine what his life would have been without this arrangement for us. It was worth every $, every tear, every ulcer, migraine, all of it.
Sorry for the stress this is causing you Ann, but God bless you for your willingness to step up and be there for the sweet little girl who needs you.
