OT: Custody Battle Resolved

This little girl hasn't been with her biological parents for 7 years... she
doesn't know any other family aside from the Baker's. Now the courts have
thrown her back at her parents after a way protracted custody battle. I
remember when she was a year old and the Baker's were awarded custody
because her parents gave up their parental rights and couldn't afford to
raise the child.

Now at age 8 she has to go live with her biological parents. They don't
know her. She doesn't know them. I'm not sure what to think about this.
On the one hand I'm in favour of the parents, but on the other hand she
doesn't know them from Adam so she's got to be terrified at being uprooted
from the only real home she's ever known.

Annie Wxill...

The question is what is best for the child. Not what is best for the adults.

Not knowing the details of the situation, it's not possible to determine the
answer, but given only the information here, I'd leave the child where she
is.

There may be some circumstance that would allow the child to get acquainted
with the biological parents but stay with the parents she knows.

However, I don't see how the biological parents can get the child back if
they previously signed away parental rights. Too bad that if the biological
parents prevail, they probably won't be held accountable to reimburse the
other people the expenses for supporting the child all this time.

Adrian A...

I feel sorry for the foster parents and the child. I hope things work out
well for everybody in the end.