ConcernedGPa
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Colorado
Our daughter (21, low IQ, mental illness and on SSI) wants my wife and I to adopt her baby--due to past problems and issues, she cannot live with us. Father (22, autism, public housing program, unemployed) "wants" to move in with his single mother (mid 50s) and sister, whom he has been estranged from for 4-5 years. In all honest assessment, neither parent is capable of parenting.
My wife and I have seen the effects of reactive attachment disorder on a child...4 times we adopted. It's horrible. We have volunteered to adopt the baby to prevent this from happening...we are 47, so no motivation there.
If this baby goes to the father/grandmother, it will eventually end up in foster care or bounced around family members until the father "gets it together"--never. My wife and I are adamant that we won't take the baby unless it comes home from the hospital with us. I feel like the father's mother is trying to get custody of a child she truly has no way of caring for--all for the sake of keeping the baby "in her family"--her words.
We were told that Colorado DHS is reactive vs proactive...the parents have to demonstrate unfitness before the state will intervene. Our daughter cannot have a baby in the setting she lives in, so she would be ruled out first (unless she moves out). That would leave the father as first in line. Do we have any path forward to gain custody?
Our daughter (21, low IQ, mental illness and on SSI) wants my wife and I to adopt her baby--due to past problems and issues, she cannot live with us. Father (22, autism, public housing program, unemployed) "wants" to move in with his single mother (mid 50s) and sister, whom he has been estranged from for 4-5 years. In all honest assessment, neither parent is capable of parenting.
My wife and I have seen the effects of reactive attachment disorder on a child...4 times we adopted. It's horrible. We have volunteered to adopt the baby to prevent this from happening...we are 47, so no motivation there.
If this baby goes to the father/grandmother, it will eventually end up in foster care or bounced around family members until the father "gets it together"--never. My wife and I are adamant that we won't take the baby unless it comes home from the hospital with us. I feel like the father's mother is trying to get custody of a child she truly has no way of caring for--all for the sake of keeping the baby "in her family"--her words.
We were told that Colorado DHS is reactive vs proactive...the parents have to demonstrate unfitness before the state will intervene. Our daughter cannot have a baby in the setting she lives in, so she would be ruled out first (unless she moves out). That would leave the father as first in line. Do we have any path forward to gain custody?