A horrible injustice happening at this unethical Adoption Agency in Ohio; Adoption by Gentle Care is holding Baby Camden in foster care while his loving mother fights for the return of her sick child in court.
Yes, this case sounds too horrible to be true, but it is all true.
Please take some time and look around at http://www.BringCamdenHome.com to get an idea of what has been happening since the end of March 2014.
This should be the last fundraiser needed. As we currently wait for a date for oral arguments to be heard in the Appeals Court, this goal will provide for the final bit of legal fees.
Baby Camden born via C-section on March 31st, 2014. About two weeks before, the live in boyfriend of Carri Sterns informed her that she would have to “choose” between this new baby and the life they had had as a “family” with her other five children. In a panic and not wanting to disrupt her other children, Carri called Ohio’s Adoption by Gentle Care.
There was an initial meeting at a Bob Evans restaurant on March 28th, where AGC social worker instructed Carri numerous times to withhold truthful information about the child with the threat that the truth would “disrupt the adoption process and the baby would go to foster care.”
After a very traumatic birth where Carri was extremely emotionally in crisis and received multiple pain and sedatives, Kelli Schumaker continued to move along with the adoption process and met with Carri on April 4th to take her relinquishment consent.
In Ohio, the law states that consents cannot be taken while under medication; but again, Carri was advised to lie on the legal forms. Three days after the relinquishment, Carri, now off the major prescribed medications realizes that in crisis, she has made a terrible mistake and would like her baby back and contacts the agency. As Ohio has irrevocable adoption consent laws, they yelled at Carri and hung up on her. Carri started calling lawyers.
Since April 7th, Carri has been fighting for the return of her son. Once informed of the mistakes AGC had made and that Carri was determined to fight the placement, the perspective adoptive family who had Camden choose not to take a child form a loving and capable mother and returned him to AGC.
Adoption by Gentle Care could choose to rescind the consent, but they refuse and have instead choose to keep Camden in agency temporary foster care. To add insult to injury, Camden has since been diagnosed with Septo-Optic Dysplasia also known as De Morsier Syndrome.
Since May, this case has been in the Ohio 10th District courts. It has been heard in Probate, the Court of Appeals, and Juvenile court where it was eventually heard in July and August of this year. While the appointed visiting judge ruled in favor of the original consent being legal in favor of the agency, Carri’s legal team has filed the notice of appeal and oral arguments will be heard soon.
Adoption by Gentle Care has a less than stellar record and were the placement agency in the Grayson Vaughn contested adoption that was overturned. Over and over there is pattern of a complete disregard for the laws. This amounts to an agency, that claims that the “best interest” of a child is paramount to their mission, yet chooses to keep a child in temporary placement rather than do the right and human thing to do; return this baby to his mother and family.
Meanwhile, the emotional toll this has taken on this family is huge. The family home that was threatened to be preserved by the relinquishment failed and Carri is now living independently, caring for her other children while fighting for their brother’s return. The legal costs incurred are monumental and the fight is not over. None of this needed to happen, but still a baby sits in temporary foster care due to an agencies vengeance and a family suffers. Carri is perfectly able, capable and loving mother. Camden is now almost a year old and has never had a real home.
Adoption, especially voluntary relinquishment, is supposed to be about the best interests of a child and mother, to find a home for a child who needs one. All child welfare advocates state that unless there are compelling reasons, a child does best with their biological family. An adoption agency abusing the laws for their own benefit is NOT a compelling reason to separate a family.
This is not adoption. It is the forcible separation of a family based on a wrongly interpreted law and repeated illegal acts.
This cause has been blessed with the support of the community and with that the fight to Bring Camden Home has continued. Thrilled to announce that ALL required documents are now with the Appeal court. Adoption by Gentle Care's sad response was replied to - strongly. And now, we just wait for the court to set the date for oral arguments. The end is again in sight! We'd like to take this opportunity to thank, once again, all who have been so supportive both emotionally and financially. For anyone else who would like to help, just click on the final bit for the remaining attorney fees.
