Father and Daughter to Reunite

[pam]

This is a sad story on so many levels. A married man at the time is going to be reunited with his daughter who was adopted without his consent.

Father, daughter to reunite after she was adopted without his consent | ksl.com

[Just_A_Guy]

This is a sad story on so many levels. A married man at the time is going to be reunited with his daughter who was adopted without his consent.

Father, daughter to reunite after she was adopted without his consent | ksl.com

I'm not holding my breath. IIRC, Larry Jenkins is representing the adoptive parents. I'd be flabbergasted if he didn't file an appeal, and get the reunification stayed pending appeal.

[beefche]

I'm not holding my breath. IIRC, Larry Jenkins is representing the adoptive parents. I'd be flabbergasted if he didn't file an appeal, and get the reunification stayed pending appeal.

Do you know Larry Jenkins?

[Guest]

Sad for the father, but also sad for the little girl who will be torn from the only family she's known. I'm really conflicted about this story.

[pam]

I am too...but according to the article, even they were told there might be problems with the father. Even the adoption agency was aware.

[Jenamarie]

Sad for the father, but also sad for the little girl who will be torn from the only family she's known. I'm really conflicted about this story.

While it's going to be sad, I think it would open too big a can of worms to let the daughter stay with the would-be-adoptive parents. It would set a dangerous precedent.

There are children who have lost their parents in car accidents or illness or divorce, etc. etc. and have gone on to live happy, fulfilling lives. I personally have hope that there is a bright future ahead for this little girl.

The ones I mainly feel bad for are the other children of the couple. They had ZERO to do with this and made NO mistakes, but will have to deal with the emotional ramifications of this avoidable tragedy, as they all (mostly) seem to be of an age where they'll remember this.

[Just_A_Guy]

Do you know Larry Jenkins?

Only by reputation. He's taken a couple of other high-profile questionable adoption cases to the state Supreme Court.

[Wingnut]

Even the adoption agency was aware.

The agency shouldn't have proceeded with the adoption if they knew it was likely to become a problem.

I have some dear friends who adopted a three-year-old girl almost two years ago. Birth mother was not LDS but chose to go through LDS Social Services. Birth father was not able to be found, either through birth mom or through other legal/civic channels. The girl had, prior to joining my friends in their home, lived a life of couch-hopping and never knowing where her next meal was coming from or who would stay around with her. My friends gave her stability that she had never experienced. They also found that she had extensive problems as a result of her early life, including reactive attachment disorder. During the trial period of having the girl in their home, they strongly considered not making it permanent, despite having waited 12 years to have a child. In the end they chose to keep her. They also ended up fighting a more-than-a-year-long battle in court, as birth father resurfaced and wanted to keep the girl. There is a lot of other detail that isn't necessarily relevant, but my friends were finally awarded custody, and there is no chance of appeal anymore. They've been sealed as a family, and despite their daughter's lingering trauma, they have given her a steady, safe, and loving home that she'd never known before.

[MorningStar]

What a horrible situation. If this were to happen to me (not that my husband could put up a child for adoption without my permission), I think I would want there to be a relationship with me and the parents who adopted them.

[Backroads]

This being the second(?) thread on the topic, I'm so hoping there isn't another fight and it gets shut down...

Personally, I think the court made the right decision though I rather hope there will be still allowed some communication between little girl and adoptive family.

[pam]

The agency shouldn't have proceeded with the adoption if they knew it was likely to become a problem.

My understanding is that the father attempted to contact the agency but the agency never responded to the father. You're right. They should have never proceeded and I think that's why the judge was so upset with the adopting agency.

[selek]

My understanding is that the father attempted to contact the agency but the agency never responded to the father. You're right. They should have never proceeded and I think that's why the judge was so upset with the adopting agency.

According to the article in the now-closed companion thread, it's worse than that.

The agency refused to provide the father with any information on his daughter's whereabouts and proceeded with the placement (not adoption) knowing full well the mother was guilty of massive fraud AND that the father wanted his daughter back.

Edited December 7, 2012 by selek

[selek]

Personally, I think the court made the right decision though I rather hope there will be still allowed some communication between little girl and adoptive family.

I'm inclined to agree.

Knowing, however, what they tried to pull, I believe that the birth father would be well within his rights to tell the Freis family to drop dead.

Given what they've already done to undermine his relationship with his daughter, he has no guarantees they won't switch to subtler means of driving a wedge between father and daughter.