| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ADH |
Posted - 01/13/2009 : 6:33:26 PM
Couple adopts eight children
Primrose Retirement
By J. STEVEN DILLON
STAFF WRITER
A couple from southern Ohio did the unthinkable Monday: they adopted eight Han***** County children, all brothers and sisters, who have been living in three separate foster homes until recently.
The eight children, between the ages of 5 and 17, will become part of an even bigger family. Their adoptive parents already have seven children.
Monday's "mass" adoption may have been the most unusual in Han***** County history.
Han***** County Probate and Juvenile Judge Allan Davis conducted the final adoption hearing in Han***** County Common Pleas Court. The eight children fidgeted as they sat in the jury box, waiting for their names to be called by the judge.
While the proceeding was in a public courtroom, adoptions in Ohio are private matters, so the names of the adoptive parents and the eight children are not considered public record.
Records show the children were removed from their biological parents in February 2006 after being found in "unsafe and unsanitary conditions" at a Findlay home that had been condemned.
The home had one bathroom, with non-working plumbing.
The juvenile court granted Han***** County Children's Protective Services Unit permanent custody of the children in July 2007 following a trial.
That ruling, later upheld on appeal, came after the biological parents, who are considered "mildly" mentally retarded, failed to complete a case plan and were unable to obtain appropriate housing for the family. The couple also didn't complete evaluations and counseling, according to records.
At that point the adoption process started, and the couple from southern Ohio offered to adopt all eight children.
As the juvenile court judge, Davis oversees about 140 adoptions a year, most of them involving children who are adopted by a stepparent. Other adoptions, known as agency adoptions, take place after the Children's Protective Services Unit obtains permanent custody after establishing that neglect, abuse or dependency has occurred. Monday's proceeding was an agency adoption.
Most agency adoptions involve one or two children, and Davis can only recall one case where as many as four children were put up for adoption from the same family.
Couples rarely adopt multiple children, he said, and often siblings end up being adopted by different families.
Such was not the case on Monday. Not only will the eight children stay together, they will "inherit" seven other siblings the adopting couple's "other" children.
Those children were also present for Monday's hearing.
Davis, who has overseen hundreds of adoptions since 1974, admitted Monday he has never had a case that involved so many children from the same family.
"This one was unique," he said. "It's almost always preferred to keep children together, but it isn't always possible. I've never had one work out like this."
The adoption was approved only after a series of background checks of the prospective parents, and evaluations and interviews with the children.
The Children's Services agency in the county where the adopting family resides worked closely with the Han***** County agency to ensure the arrangement was in the "best interests of the children."
The children have been living with the adoptive parents for the past six months or so, Davis said.
"It was kind of a trial run to see how things work out," he said.
Monday's final hearing was scheduled after all the T's had been crossed, and Davis had made arrangements for a courtroom big enough to hold the new family and well-wishers.
"There wouldn't have been room in my courtroom (in juvenile court)," Davis said.
One by one, the adoptees joined Davis at the bench, where the judge asked each, one last time, if they were OK with the arrangements and their new names.
Those over 12 years of age signed their names on documents, while Davis vouched for the younger children after they either responded or nodded their heads. Davis hoisted the youngest child, 5, onto his lap so the boy could see over the top of the desk.
Before they returned to their seats, Davis allowed each adoptee to pound the court gavel and gave each one a miniature hammer as a keepsake. Following photographs with the judge, with all 17 members of the family present, and hugs from local caseworkers, the new extended family left the courtroom. Minutes later, they piled into a large van and headed "home" to begin their new lives in southern Ohio. |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Sports Mom |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 07:33:32 AM
What a great story ADH... Thanks for sharing!
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| wifostarz |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 06:38:05 AM
That is great. I worked with a guy who had 4 kids and then him and his wife (who was in med school at the time) adopted 5 special needs kids. They were just the most incredible people I've ever known. |
| Doc |
Posted - 01/13/2009 : 10:54:17 PM
Seriously Adam....Is there ANY way that the filter can just change the word "c0ck" to something like "rooster", or "chicken", or "Buck"?! |
| Lupa |
Posted - 01/13/2009 : 10:26:01 PM
Thats great. Thanks for sharing. |
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