Beyond Fluff and Feel Good Stories; Can We have Real Journalism for NAM?

An Open Letter to the Media:

With National Adoption Month coming up in November,  I am sure your publication is preparing heartwarming tales to highlight adoption. I would like to tell you about a story that doesn’t fall under the normal  feel good, but is instead, a complete fallacy of everything we want to celebrate about adoption.  It is a story about corrupting and the abuses of power. It is a story about a mother in crisis having that vulnerability exploited, trusting the wrong people and then fighting a system that wants to shut her down.

Act Now; A Gag Order will Shut Down Your Chances!

Please note that we are currently waiting for the appeal of this case to go on the court calendar. The notice of appeal has been filed.  I can assure you that one of the fist motions will be a gag order; so the time is now to reach out for interviews and the like. Carri and her legal time are more than willing to speak to the media.  The truth must be heard and this unscrupulous agency must be held accountable for their actions before another family gets hurt.

What Has This Adoption Agency Done Wrong?

• Instructed the mother to lie about her Native American Heritage; in Indian Child Welfare Act violation
• Instruct her to not be forthcoming about the identity of the child’s father
• Ignored the coercion and duress put upon her by her boyfriend to relinquish; a violation of the social worker coed of ethics
• Took the relinquishment consent while she was on prescribed medications
• Instructed the mother to deny that she was on medication to take the relinquishment consent
• Stopped the taping of the relinquishment consent
• Instructed the mother to again, lie about the contact and identity of the child’s father
• Instructed the mother to deny her Native American heritage
• Informed the mother that if all of the above was not followed, then the child would go to foster care.
• Denied that the agency had any authority to place the child in foster care, but that the option existed that the baby could have gone to foster care and in reality they DID place the child in foster care
• Never explained to the mother that “foster care” was not a dirty hovel, but placement with the pre-adoptive family.
• Never gave the mother the option that she could temporarily have the child in care and not forgo her legal right of the child.
• Never explored other options with the mother that included separating for the boyfriend who was forcing her to choose
• Never informed the pre-adoptive family that did have original placement that the mother desired her child back; when the family was told of these facts independently, the agency did return the child but keep him in their custody.
• Placed the child in temporary foster care rather than return him to his biological mother.
• Hung up on the mother after yelling her when she did not comply with their wishes and requested her child back.
• Used the mothers medical release form ( meant only for an adoption, which was now failed) to dig up dirt on her to use against her.
• Neglected to put the child on their insurance and pay for his medical care, but instead kept the baby on the mother’s insurance ( fraud and direct violation of Ohio code)
• Used threats and intimidation against the mother and her legal team to attempt to shut them up.
• Spoke despairingly, including known slander, about the mother’s nonexistent “mental illness” to non related clients of said agency.
• Released the mothers name publicly on their Facebook page.
• Used “sock puppets” social media accounts and non related friends to spread lies and attack the mothers credibility.
• Lied in court under oath.
• Admitted to the court that they needed “vindication”
• Considered returning the child, but then stated in their notes that they wanted to “punish” the mother.
• Told others that there were five “possible fathers” of this child which is a direct lie.

I know there is more. There is so much we forget!

HELP BRING CAMDEN HOME Yes, you CAN do this!

TWEET THIS POST TO THE NEWS MEDIA:

Help #BringCamdenHome and tell this truthful tale before this agency hurts another baby  http://www.adoptionbirthmothers.com/hey-media-folks-anyone-want-a-real-story-for-national-adoption-month/ @TWITTER ACCOUNT NAME

Look up reporters on Twitter and  TWEET TO them with the above BEFORE their name as indicated.

 

Telling the Story of an Abuse of Power and Disregard for the Law

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.” Included in the erroneous information was facts about Carri’s Native American Heritage which violates the federal Indian Child Welfare Act and identifying information about the putative father which also violates his rights by law. In addition, Carri was the actual client of the social worker, Kelli Schumaker,  at this time and was clearly stating that she did not desire to relinquish, but was being pressured by her then partner. The social worker ignored that completely which violates the social workers code of ethics.

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. Her doctor will later testify as an expert witness that there was no way that Carri could have made an informed decision in her condition. Again, Carri was instructed to lie about various facts regarding her Native heritage and contact with the father. Later in court, it will come out that Kelli Schumaker claims under oath that she had “no idea” about the recent contact, yet the witness ( another AGC social employee) confesses that they did know that the father of the baby contacted Carri on the day of the child’s birth in March, not in Nov/Dec as Kelli testified. In addition, the recording of the tape was paused (illegal), Kelli Schumaker notarized her own signature ( illegal), and again, that Carri was basically being forced to relinquish was known, yet ignored. Later Kelli Schumaker will testify that Carri wasn’t forced, because forced means you don’t have a choice, but Carri didn’t have a choice (hence, by Kelli Schumaker’s own definition, Carri was forced). The court transcripts make some interesting reading. Unfortunately, they cannot be shared for public distribution.

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 Kelli Schumaker. As Ohio has irrevocable adoption consent laws, Kelli Schumaker 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. The agency refuses to update this mother about her son’s health, yet he is still on her medical insurance which is not only illogical ( how can he be a dependent if she  is legally not his mother?) but is also insurance fraud and in violation of Ohio law code.

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 based on the Dr’s medical testimony alone, are confident that the consent is invalid.

Adoption by Gentle Care has a less than stellar record and were the placement agency in the Grayson Vaughn contested adoption that was overturned. There are other complaints lodged and lawsuits filed on behalf of both adoptive parents and other birth parents. The case notes were made available for the hearing and notes that they considered retuning Camden, but because Carri dared to go to the media, they desired to “punish” her. In their notes, they also say to “ignore” ICWA and they admitted in court that they were worried about their reputation and required “vindication”.  They used her medical release records illegally to attempt to dig up dirt for the trial. This is, again, illegal and a violation of HIPA.  AGC has attempted to simultaneously silence Carri with intimidation while slandering her to their currently clients claiming Carri  is “mentally ill” and releasing her name publicly (again illegal).  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. She is a 38 year old suburban soccer mom with happy healthy children. Camden is now 6 months 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.

The world needs to know about such injustices happening in the name of adoption. This is not adoption. It is the forcible separation of a family based on a wrongly interpreted law and  repeated illegal acts.

Please consider doing something real for National Adoption Month this November.  Go beyond the fluff. Tell a truthful tale please and help Bring Camden Home.