Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 19:22:53 GMT
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Mar 22, 2016 19:28:35 GMT
How heartbreaking. So because she is 1.5% Native American she has been forced to move from her loving home and live with people she doesn't even know? Wow, just Wow!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 19:30:18 GMT
tears... I want to say more but I am just too shocked for words.
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Post by Outspoken on Mar 22, 2016 19:36:57 GMT
I read this today as well. More proof that this nation is going to hell in a hand basket. There is no common sense anymore. Nothing is based off what is best for the child. This is insanity!!!
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Post by twinzmommy on Mar 22, 2016 19:39:54 GMT
I've been following this and was horrified to learn that they did take her from her foster home. The part that I really don't understand is that the family she is being sent to are not even blood related. I believe it is the daughter of the birth father's step grandfather. They also are not Indian at all. I just don't understand how anyone can think this is what's best for her. They are still asking for help from people to sign their petition if anyone wants to help. www.change.org/p/keep-lexi-home |
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basketdiva
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Post by basketdiva on Mar 22, 2016 19:47:08 GMT
I understand the concern about raisining Native Americans in the "white" culture. Too many children were taken off the reservations and placed in "white" homes for their "own good". But this is crazy. 1.5% Choctaw!!!
I would also like to know if the statement about the Utah family is true- extended family with no Native American blood. How sad for the all.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Mar 22, 2016 19:58:04 GMT
from looking at the Indian Child Welfare Act webpage (linked in the story) it sounds like the information about her heritage may have come to light because the family was trying to adopt her...
their FAQ page says:
-- the Act is based on the unique political status of Tribes and Indian people
-- the Act applies even if the tribe isn't involved
-- there is no 'preference' to place a child with a Native family member over a Non-Native family member
-- the law gives preference to the family first in questions of placement for adoption
This information seems to explain why she was removed from her foster home and placed with (very) extended family, due to her Native American heritage. I'm not saying it's not tragic, but it does sound like everything that happened was legal.
ETA: one more thing from the FAQ and questions: the law applies to anyone who is a registered member or eligible to be a member, not just those identifying as having Native American heritage. So the information about the foster mother having a Native American background really doesn't matter in terms of this law- according to the Indian Child Welfare Act, family trumps anyone non-family, Native American or not.
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Post by mom on Mar 22, 2016 19:59:37 GMT
The family that the girl was removed from is related to Tara Whitney, the photographer. If you've been around scrapbooking long, you've probably heard of her. She is in the same circles as Ali and Cathy Zieslski.
So incredibly sad.
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Post by katlady on Mar 22, 2016 20:00:17 GMT
When I first read this story today, it brought tears to my eyes. But, as I read more, this is the end of a 4-year battle. So, this has been an issue for at least 4 years. The Utah family filed to adopt her back in 2011. It is not like the Utah family just suddenly happened into the scenario. I feel for the poor little girl. I hope she has a happy life and recovers from this trauma.  |
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zella
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Post by zella on Mar 22, 2016 20:03:45 GMT
That'd be like taking one of my kids (when they were young) and forcing them to relocate to Norway, since they are about 1/64th Norwegian.
What a ridiculous reading of the law.
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basketdiva
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Post by basketdiva on Mar 22, 2016 20:04:27 GMT
I know it's all legal but I'm still curios how much Choctaw blood the extended family has and if they participate in their culture.
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Post by katlady on Mar 22, 2016 20:06:33 GMT
I know it's all legal but I'm still curios how much Choctaw blood the extended family has and if they participate in their culture. I read no Choctaw blood in the couple that received custody. |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Mar 22, 2016 20:13:48 GMT
according to the law, the extended family's Native American heritage or participation isn't in question here- they're family, and that's what matters (per the Indian Child Welfare Act).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 20:28:40 GMT
That changes things IMO - and then there's the part where we can't know what exactly is in their files, what part of the story we don't know, because there may be more details that change things. I'm not unilaterally defending DHS, but I don't think having living family who wants this child is meaningless because she has a foster care family who also loves her. I hope they didn't prolong this kid's agony by fighting for her when it was unlikely they would win - isn't is common that kids are placed with family, even above all other interested or capable parties? Awful for this child though, how traumatic. |
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Post by janniepea on Mar 22, 2016 20:31:18 GMT
It is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking. I signed the petition and now pray.
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Gennifer
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Post by Gennifer on Mar 22, 2016 20:37:49 GMT
If anyone is to blame, it's the foster parents that dragged this out for years. Here's an article from 18 months ago with more of the background: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/24/broken-choctaw-father-california-thwarted-custody-battle-foster-couple-156035ETA: I found this quote especially interesting. "Baby A [Lexi], however, is not the first child this foster couple has tried to adopt out of foster care. The first child was eventually reunited with its parents—but only after they fought in court with the Pages to regain custody. "These folks are attempting to use foster care as an ad hoc adoption agency, [but it] is not a rubber-stamp to adopt the kids in their care.” says J. Eric Reed." |
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Post by papersilly on Mar 22, 2016 20:41:42 GMT
they were discussing this on the radio today since it's a "local" story. someone said that they were looking into the possibility that the extended family are getting her in hopes of getting some financial incentive because she is part Indian. how sad would that be if it was true?
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Mar 22, 2016 20:48:48 GMT
Any time a parents rights are severed, regardless of how long a child has been in foster care, the law requires that family be offered the option first if they are suitable to adopt. But I agree with Gennifer , the foster family holds a lot of responsibility with this, and how much harm has been caused for everyone involved. ETA: I was thinking of a different story than this one so I changed part of my post. |
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Post by katlady on Mar 22, 2016 20:55:56 GMT
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Post by bostonmama on Mar 22, 2016 21:00:13 GMT
Where were these distant relatives when she was being shuffled between foster homes after birth??
clarification: after she was removed from her father and before she ended up with the Page family.
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Gennifer
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Post by Gennifer on Mar 22, 2016 21:36:26 GMT
Where were these distant relatives when she was being shuffled between foster homes after birth?? clarification: after she was removed from her father and before she ended up with the Page family. Did you read the article I linked upthread? It details the timeline. |
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Post by bostonmama on Mar 22, 2016 21:48:44 GMT
Where were these distant relatives when she was being shuffled between foster homes after birth?? clarification: after she was removed from her father and before she ended up with the Page family. Did you read the article I linked upthread? It details the timeline. I did, but why wasn't she placed in the custody of relatives when he went to jail? I didn't see that clarified. I just read that she was in 2 foster homes before making her way to the Page's. Also, if she has siblings that ended up with extended family (or something...down the street) why didn't she? |
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Mar 22, 2016 22:55:22 GMT
Where were these distant relatives when she was being shuffled between foster homes after birth?? clarification: after she was removed from her father and before she ended up with the Page family. Sometimes timing is bad. Maybe at first they were not in a good position to add a child but by the time severance happened they were |
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Post by nlwilkins on Mar 22, 2016 23:13:20 GMT
The foster parents have done nothing to try alleviate the child's trauma and distress over this. Instead they have added to it by their behavior. Foster parents have contributed to this drama in a major way. Since 2011 they knew this was coming and yet they drug it out and kept it all in a uproar.
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Post by kamper on Mar 22, 2016 23:16:06 GMT
If anyone is to blame, it's the foster parents that dragged this out for years. Here's an article from 18 months ago with more of the background: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/24/broken-choctaw-father-california-thwarted-custody-battle-foster-couple-156035ETA: I found this quote especially interesting. "Baby A [Lexi], however, is not the first child this foster couple has tried to adopt out of foster care. The first child was eventually reunited with its parents—but only after they fought in court with the Pages to regain custody. "These folks are attempting to use foster care as an ad hoc adoption agency, [but it] is not a rubber-stamp to adopt the kids in their care.” says J. Eric Reed." If anyone is to blame, it's the foster parents that dragged this out for years. Yeah, that's what I see. They knew the law was not on her side and that she had siblings that were in Utah. |
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Post by Yubon Peatlejuice on Mar 22, 2016 23:20:28 GMT
The foster parents have done nothing to try alleviate the child's trauma and distress over this. Instead they have added to it by their behavior. Foster parents have contributed to this drama in a major way. Since 2011 they knew this was coming and yet they drug it out and kept it all in a uproar. Yep and now the Foster parents have alerted the media and of course the media is all over it like flies on shit. There are no innocent parties here except the child. |
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Post by lucyg on Mar 22, 2016 23:23:16 GMT
Thank you to everyone who dug deeper into this story. It always tugs at our heartstrings when we read about an incident like this, but it usually turns out there are many more layers to the story, and it's not just officious, incompetent bureaucrats trying to destroy a happy American family for no good reason. That'd be like taking one of my kids (when they were young) and forcing them to relocate to Norway, since they are about 1/64th Norwegian. What a ridiculous reading of the law. No, it would be nothing like taking one of your kids. There are no laws in this country specifically enacted to protect children of Norwegian descent from being removed from their families and tribes, the way Native American children were for generations. |
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Post by bc2ca on Mar 22, 2016 23:34:05 GMT
If anyone is to blame, it's the foster parents that dragged this out for years. Here's an article from 18 months ago with more of the background: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/24/broken-choctaw-father-california-thwarted-custody-battle-foster-couple-156035ETA: I found this quote especially interesting. "Baby A [Lexi], however, is not the first child this foster couple has tried to adopt out of foster care. The first child was eventually reunited with its parents—but only after they fought in court with the Pages to regain custody. "These folks are attempting to use foster care as an ad hoc adoption agency, [but it] is not a rubber-stamp to adopt the kids in their care.” says J. Eric Reed." Thanks for linking the article. The way the foster parents handled the handover this morning really disturbed me. If they had the best interest of Lexi at heart they would have prepared her for the transition and saved their tears for after and behind closed doors. |
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Mar 23, 2016 1:13:38 GMT
Did you read the article I linked upthread? It details the timeline. I did, but why wasn't she placed in the custody of relatives when he went to jail? I didn't see that clarified. I just read that she was in 2 foster homes before making her way to the Page's. Also, if she has siblings that ended up with extended family (or something...down the street) why didn't she? The foster system is a bear to understand when you have been involved. I'm guessing you have no inside knowledge of thecrazy that is foster care in the US? |
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Post by finally~a~mama on Mar 23, 2016 1:34:26 GMT
This whole thing is awful. I have a 6 year old and my heart breaks for that little girl. So many things could have (should have) been done differently. Why wasn't she placed with family to start with? Why did she go through 3 different foster families? Why was the state so seemingly difficult in the reunification process? I can get why both sides of drug this out. They want the child. But what was in the best interest of the child?
It seems to me, this isn't really about keeping a Native American child with family, but rather a father using anything he can to get his child back. Can't say that I necessarily blame him for that.
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