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[quote=Anonymous]Baby Veronica: South Carolina adoptive parents V Oklahoma birth father
JAN
24
Written by: Adoptions Together 
1/24/2012 9:40 AM   
Written by Susan Ogden | Domestic Program Director

In the past several weeks, there has been news coverage of the story of Baby Veronica, the two year old girl who was legally forced to leave her adoptive family. (You can read the full story here http://www.adoptivefamiliescircle.com/groups/topic/2_Year-Old_Girl_Returned_to_Biological_Father/)

It’s always very distressing to the community at large when a child is removed from an adoptive home and returned to her birth parent. This is especially distressing when the child is two years old and has been placed since birth. Adoption is designed to be a legal and permanent solution for children in need of families. Every state has laws that govern the type and timing of adoption consent and termination of parental rights and the revocation of that consent or objection to the adoption. According to the account in the news, the birth father attempted to assert his parental rights when the child was an infant. Also according to the news article, the father joined the tribe in order to invoke Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)regulations. ICWA does have the right to ensure a child of Native American heritage remain in the tribe. The father would have to prove his heritage and eligibility to be a tribal member. If the father revoked his consent within the time allocated by the law,  then his rights take precedence and the judge was correct in ordering Veronica’s return.

This story is replete with loss. It’s sad and painful for the adoptive parents. And it will cause some trauma and stress for the toddler to be removed from her familiar family and placed with her father who is a virtual stranger at this time. It will most likely not cause her serious harm for a lifetime. The birth father has also lost two years of time with his child.  It’s too bad the parties could not have cooperated in a mediated solution for ongoing contact between the child and her father.  When adoption becomes adversarial child centered solutions are elusive.

Adoption works well when both biological parents are involved in the decision and understand their rights. Adoption works well and is permanent and stable for children and families if both birth parents are counseled by adoption workers  and represented by attorneys. If the birth father attempted to assert his rights in a timely and legal manner, then he should be awarded custody. Like other famous Baby cases—Baby Jessica, Baby Richard—the fathers had rights they attempted to assert when the children were infants. The adoptive parents fought the removal. In both these cases the fathers were lied to, even defrauded, by their partners. This is not the way ethical adoption is practiced. It’s in the interest of children’s permanency and stability that their birth parents consent willingly and knowingly to their rights being terminated. This is not what happened in this case.

This agency is reputable...the one who handled Veronica Brown's adoption is not (Nightlight Christian Adoptions).
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