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dcrowex

grandparents trying to adopt - told they have no rights???

dcrowex
22 years ago

My niece died tragically right before Christmas. While she did not live with her parents at the time of her death, she had been living with them up to about 6 months before that. Her mother and father helped her with the 3 yr old grandchild while she worked and the little boy spent a great deal of time with the grandparents. This is the only family the child knows and he is happy, secure, and well adjusted. He clings to them now more than ever since his mother died. The father has been in jail most of the time the child has been here and once he was out, only saw the child for about a week. He has never paid any child support and although his name is on the birth certificate as the father, he never signed anything. Yesterday, they went to an attorney to start proceedings to adopt the child and were informed that in Florida, basically, the grandparents have no rights and they would have to prove the child's father unfit. This may open a hornets nest and they could lose. Everyone is sick about this. Can they go to another state? Could the father come in and take this child? We are told he is in the area and has made phone calls stating that he knows he has "rights". Can this get any worse? If anyone can offer any advice, it would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Debbie

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