Believe me starbird its a huge issue splitting siblings .My father and his 2 sisters and brother were all sent to seperate homes when their mother died during WW11 .They would all have told you how awful it was for them,they hated the homes they were in and worried about the others and how they were being treated .My aunts and uncle never lived together when they came out of care,they each in turn lived with us for a while until they were able to manage alone ...but they all longed for a family they lost all their lives.In my opinion these childrens FATHER needs to step up or to pay for help for his Parents...although 48 hours a fortnight doesn't seem much to me when the mother has them the other 12 DAYS ..so its not the mothers place to pay for time her ex should have them , if the OP finds it hard work her SS must be made to care for HIS children
Lack of public toilets in towns.
Passports not in the drawer I always keep them in. Turning the place upside down.