A 52-year-old grandmother is hoping to adopt her two young grandchildren and is engaged in an ongoing battle with adoption services and state courts to do so. Her case will finally be heard by the Court of Appeals in the state where the children are currently living, and will determine whether or not the children can be adopted by their grandmother or by their current foster parents.
The grandmother has three sons and eight other grandchildren who live in a close-knit neighborhood together. She has been working to adopt since she discovered that the first child was born in 2009 to her son and his girlfriend who struggled with drug addiction.
The baby was born with cocaine in her system and was immediately placed with a foster family. The girlfriend told the girl's father that the baby went to live with her sister instead of into foster care. No paternal family search was conducted despite the requirement in state law to do so within 30 days.
When the grandmother finally discovered the whereabouts of the baby, along with the discovery of another one on the way, she immediately expressed interest in gaining child custody of both children.
She began the adoption process, which at first seemed promising. However her home state was not cooperating with the adoption state, neither of which is in Florida. The adoption state became frustrated at the lack of communication and asked the foster parents to adopt the girls. The foster parents filed for adoption and gained a favorable ruling last September, primarily because of their strong attachment with the children as the only parents the children have ever known.
The case will hinge on the question of which situation is in the best interests of the children. Would a cross-country move to be with their biological family be more beneficial in the long run than the early struggle of relocating young children?
This ongoing child custody case should be resolved quickly for all those who have been a party to this painful process. Healing will be needed whether or not a move is determined to be the right transition.
Source: Star Tribune, "Rosenblum; Loving families pitted against each other in adoption case" Gail Rosenblum, June 23, 2012
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