This is brilliant. This is how it should be. Congratulations to the State of Florida and to the first, original guardian who has made history in being granted, a second time, the right to guard the best interests of society. The transfer is complete.
No law must be changed, no waiting for legislation, no more costly expenditures for foster care.
With sincerity and serenity,
Happy National Adoption of New Adoption Policy Day.
For one mother, adoption a rare redemption
A woman who once lost her parental rights accomplished an uncommon feat Friday: She adopted her own daughter.
BY MAR CABRA
MCABAR@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Vanessa Scott's water broke on June 23, 2002. But she didn't go to the hospital until the next day: The Miami woman didn't want doctors to find out she had been using marijuana and cocaine in the bathroom.
She delivered an hour after reaching Parkway Regional Medical Center. And she was not surprised by what came next: Within days, child-welfare authorities took her baby, Jadah, who was born at only 23 weeks weighing 19 ounces -- and exposed to the drugs her mom had taken.
After an investigation that determined Scott was an unfit mother, the Department of Children & Families took all of her five kids away -- and ultimately, in 2006, the state ended Scott's parental rights over Jadah. Legally, Jadah, who had been turned over to foster parents, was no longer her daughter.
That gave Scott the final push to try to leave her old life behind and end her addiction to drugs.
Friday, eight years after Jadah's birth and five years after Scott began straightening out her life, she accomplished an exceedingly rare feat: She adopted her own biological child.
``It makes me feel like superwoman, like I can conquer anything,'' said Scott, 41. ``I never gave up on my family. I love my kids.''
Jadah's adoption was among 50 that took place at the Miami Children's Museum as part of Carla's National Adoption Day. The event was renamed in memory of Miami child advocate Carla Merhige, who was killed last year by her mentally ill brother.
IT'S `FOREVER'
The national event is intended to raise awareness of the 129,000 children in foster care nationwide awaiting permanent homes.
``Adoption is not just about taking care of a child until they turn 18. Adoption is forever,'' said DCF Secretary George Sheldon to the families before their adoptions were finalized.
Since taking the reins of DCF three years ago, Sheldon has made it a priority to find permanent homes for children in foster care -- either through adoption or reunification with birth parents.
The majority of the children adopted Friday were under age 5. It becomes harder to find permanent homes for children in state care as they grow older; the older the child, the more likely that he or she will remain in the system until aging out at 18.
And the agency -- together with private foster care providers such as Miami's Our Kids -- has emphasized keeping kids like Jadah out of foster care in the first place by offering intensive prevention and intervention services to struggling parents like Scott.
``Rather than waiting until the problem is terribly acute and irretrievable, let's provide services in the home right away,'' said Fran Allegra, CEO of Our Kids Miami-Dade/Monroe.
Still, Scott's case is highly unusual: Though child-welfare agencies have become more creative in their efforts to bring normalcy to foster kids, adoption by the biological mom or dad after after a legal termination of parental rights is extremely rare.
ONLY ONCE
``Before I became a magistrate I was an attorney for 15 years. It happened one time in 15 years. [Scott] was the second,'' said Steven Lieberman, the magistrate who heard Scott's adoption case.
In a room that resembled a boat, and under a banner that read ``Welcome Aboard,'' Jadah smiled and played with puppets with her brother David, 10, and sister Vaniah, 12, just before her adoption was finalized.
The three siblings -- the two others are now grown up and living on their own -- were reunited in July, when Jadah returned to her mother, who now has a home in West Palm Beach. As part of the adoption process, Jadah had to live with her mother for several months before Scott could adopt her.
Although Jadah complained about getting teased by her older brothers, she said she liked living with her mom.
``I love her and stuff like that. She gives me food, take a bath and do things,'' Jadah said. ``She kisses me.''
As Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marcia B. Caballero signed the last piece of paperwork in the museum, Scott could barely contain her emotions.
OVERWHELMED
``I'm trying to hold my tears. Happy, happy, happy tears,'' she said.
``I'm very honored to be the one to sign this final judgment and make it official,'' the judge said. Her words were followed by cheers from about 20 people in the room.
Apart from an annual membership pass to the museum, a teddy bear and a stuffed bunny, Jadah was given an almost life-sized, black-and-white portrait of her that was taken when the state was trying to find a family to adopt her.
In the end, Jadah didn't have to look far to find one. Scott clutched the portrait proudly.
``This is my picture for accomplishments. This is my reminder of my struggles,'' Scott said.
She planned to hang it in her living room as soon as they got back home.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/20/1934871/for-one-mother-adoption-a-rare.html#ixzz15yIltI4I
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