The battle of the Adoption “reform” bills in Ohio went to a committed hearing yesterday 12/9/14.
There were two people testifying: Carri and the President of Ohio Right to Life, Mike Gonidakis. As noted before, Mr. Gonidakis is not only thinking this legislation somehow gets fathers “more involved” in a pregnancy and that somehow will reduce abortions in Ohio (WTF??) , he also is an adoptive father who is upset that it was “easier” to adopt his daughter form the horribly corrupt Guatemala than his son from an agency in Ohio because of all the pesky regulations.
Carri’s written Testimony can be found here: Adoption Reform Bills SB250 Carri Stearns testimony
To be clear this proposed change in adoption laws in Ohio has nothing to do with Camden at all, but Carri testified as a Ohio citizen who had just gone through the realities of adoption practices sharing her knowledge of how the putative father’s register. The fact that our beloved attorney for Adoption by Gentle Care, Pat Hamilton, did testify last week in SUPPORT of the outrageous attack on Father’s Rights only sweetened the pot. Needless to say, I completely understand Carri’s sentiment ” I was there for others, not myself.” Adoption creates another activist though the need to fight these injustices.
A most interesting note however, the senators did ask about the revocation period for mother’s in Ohio and were actually shocked that Ohio adoption law does NOT allow for any revocation time frame for a mother to change her mind!
Sneaking in a Lousy Adoption Bill in Ohio
Anyway, the bills ( HB307 and SB250) are not in battle anymore because they did merge them into a horrid mess that is pretending to be some legislative compromise. This Bill Analysis ( Ohio SB 250 revised screwing fathers ) does a decent job of explaining how crappy it is.
Yesterday the Ohio Senate voted it on the floor and it passed with 29 yeas and only one nay. It’s completely sickening on how they actual believe it is a good thing! And it is still on the move. As once “compromise ” bill it seems to be in the Rules and Reference Committee, but the House already had SB250 in committee last year and it was heard then IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM ( which was not quite as awful) so there is a good chance that it will be submitted to the Ohio House of Representatives today for a vote. If the House follows the Senate, then the unmarried father in Ohio is seriously screwed.
The Bill Hurts EVERYONE, but the Adoption Industry!
And yes, this bill is sneaky. The Father’s Rights groups in Ohio had NO idea this was happening. No other stakeholders have been asked. This bill is somehow being pushed through on behalf of the adoption industry as it benefits THEM.
Not adoptive parents -they lost their ability to have birthmother expenses paid for a failed placement to be credited)
Not Ohio’s children in foster care – as the new proposed tax credit increase allows for international an domestic adoptions, hence more money for more expensive adoptions and less need to provide homes for the children that actual need homes.
Not the children at all – as it allows adoption advertising which not only allows children to be commoditized, but also will create a mechanism that will allow “re-homing” to be easier.
Not potential birthmothers – because getting $3,000 in “birthmother expenses” and having your potential adoptive parents pay for your mortgage will only beholden a mother to place, rather than give her the freedom to really make an informed choice.
And certainly NOT a benefit for father’s rights in Ohio– a notification of a potential adoption and information on the putative Father’s Registry and then a mere 15 days post birth to register is not going to do much at all for a thwarted father. Plus the PFR is being touted AS IF registration will PROTECT a father’s right to parent. It does not. All the PFR does is notify a father that his rights are being terminated so he can take part. It does NOT guarantee that if he registers and contests the adoption that he will be allowed to parent. The hoops that a father MUST go through BEFORE birth to establish himself as parents still exists and IF he has not done so, then the PFR just gives him notice that he can be aware that he is getting screwed out of his right to parent his own offspring. However, THIS reality of the PFR has NOT been adequately conveyed to the Ohio Legislators and they clearly have missed this vital point. The bill continues to be sold as somehow a good thing for dads.
Getting Ohio’s SB250 Squashed- Make Phone Call!
So.. getting the Rules and References members know that you do not want them to approve this bill and allow it out on the floor to vote is step one. This is the committee and the most important person there is the Chair Matt Huffman Phone (614) 466-9624 Fax (614) 719-0004 Email Representative Huffman
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Representative-Matt-Huffman/120142098051145
Hit the rest of the committee too!
After that, it’s all about the House! Here they are: http://www.ohiohouse.gov/members/member-directory
KEY POINT: The PRF is the key sticking point here and the very simple argument is that NO ONE KNOWS IT EXISTS! Over the weekend Carri asked normal suburban dads at the kid’s various sporting events if they knew of the PFR in Ohio and out of the 53 men asked NOT ONE knew or had ever heard of the putative father’s registry.
Mention Grayson Vaughn and how that case is a perfect example of how it does not work!
They do NOT teach young men in sex education classes about the existence of the PFR or their rights and of course, there is no provision in this bill to actual EDUCATE men about their rights as fathers. No need to wonder why.. it’s because the adoption industry does not want fathers to know because it HELPS the agencies of father’s are in the dark.
Get Familiar with Putative Father’ Registries
The reality of searching for putative father’s registry information in Ohio: http://www.adoptionbirthmothers.com/erik-smiths-ohio-putative-father-registry/
And what the PFR really does: http://www.adoptionbirthmothers.com/fathers-rights-custody-adoption/putative-fathers-registries/
An example of the PFR gone wrong in Ohio: http://thinkingoutloudcafe.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/timeline-in-the-vaughn-wyrembek-adoption-custody-case/
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make Phone call! Ask them to hold off on this bill and NOT rush it through. Let it wait until next session when all the stakeholders can have a place at the table and an “adoption reform” bill that actual does some good can be submitted and passed.
If this gets by the House today, then our last recourse is to ask the Governor to veto it and we will get screwed. If we hesitate, if we blink today, then we are allowing father’s in Ohio to be stripped of their right to parent this own children in the name of adoption corruption.
