Tonight on AC360: Adoption Case Gone Bad
I’m working on a story for AC360 tonight that has me shaking my head. How could the father of a baby girl who is nearly 2 years old now, not even know she existed until last year?
Here’s how: Terry Achane and his wife, Tira Bland, married in 2009. Bland got pregnant and Achane got called to duty. He’s an Army staff sergeant and needed to leave Texas for South Carolina.
Their marriage was on the rocks, and Bland went against her husband’s wishes and put their baby up for adoption.
It took her six months to tell her husband what happened. He had been searching for his baby girl, calling hospitals to see if she had been aborted, even calling family members to see if they’d seen his wife with a baby.
His brother-in-law told him he had seen Bland, but that she didn’t look pregnant and there was no baby in sight. Can you imagine?
When Bland told Achane what she did, he called the adoption agency in Utah right away.
Instead of helping put him in touch with his daughter, another blow, they asked him if he was willing to sign away his paternal rights!
Now a Utah judge has ruled the adoptive parents must hand over the child within 60 days. But the couple, Jared and Kristi Frei, is filing an appeal, hoping to keep their daughter.
The deadline for the handover is January 16th.
Let me know who you think should keep the little girl.
Don't miss Randi’s report and the AC360 interview with the girl’s biological father, Terry Achane.
Tune in tonight at 8 and 10 p.m. ET
UPDATE Watch Randi's report:
Watch Anderson's interview with Terry Achane:
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Post by: Randi Kaye Filed under: Tonight on AC360 |
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This is truly outrageous! The father should get his daughter back. The little girl belongs with her dad. The biological mother should be brought up on charges for her actions. My heart goes out to the adoptive parents but the child is rightfully Mr. Achane's baby. I do not know how a mother can do something like that. This is just an awful situation and I pray that the child is returned to her father as soon as possible.
As adoptive parents many of you should be showing more compassion. The father was on duty fighting for our rights, including our rights to post our opinions on this forum. It isn't the father's fault for securing a future for his family through service to our country. His right to be a father should not be taken from him, especially since he anticipated coming home to his wife and now 2 year old child.
As an adoptive parent myself, I could not bear the loss these adoptive parents are facing, but agree that the child should be with her birth father. As to those commenters who want to try to judge the quality of love given from an adoptive vs. biological parent, I don't think this is something that can be generalized and indeed the negative comments in this regard are insulting to adoptive families (children and parents). In any case, it is not relevant to the fact that this man lost his rights unfairly. Very sad. Oh, and I have been a first hand witness to many children adapting to changes in family setting at around this age. Having been well loved in the adoptive family will help this child in her transition (assuming it takes place). Peace to all.
This is a terrible situation for this little girl to be in. However, if this child is left with her adoptive parents, then this sets a precedence for taking children away from their rightful homes. It also sets a precedence for adoption agencies being able to go through with illegal adoptions. As terrible as it will be for this little girl to leave the only parents she has ever known, it will be far worse if this adoption is left to stand and this father loses his child.
Glad I dont have to make this decision. The biological mother should be charged with some kind of crime.
We were priced out of the market to adopt. Both professional AA but they wanted 20k in adoption fees. Adoption needs to be revamped.
The father has every right to fight to get HIS child back!
The father should have every right to get his child back. He was unaware of the decision his wife made for him which is not fair. I understand the adoptive parents wanting to appeal, but they need to understand the father had all his rights taken from him which gives him more then enough reason to get his daughter back.
How heartbreaking. Maybe a slow change. With a joint custody/visitation for a year or two. With the biological father and family getting her weekends. By four, she would know this man is her daddy too. Similiar to a divorce situation. This man has EVERY right to have his child back with him. 100% But, my heart breaks for the family that adopted her. I hope the biological mother is prosecuted for fraud. She had to commit fraud to be able to adopt this baby out. If the agency had any idea that the father was known ( alot of women put "unknown" on documents), then they should lose their license and be forced to financially compensate both side for the anguish they caused. I hope the families can work together for what is the best and less traumatic transition for this baby girl.
The father deserves to be with his daughter!
I think the father should get his biological daughter. I feel he wasn't informed of decision and able to be involved and he should have rights over adoptive parents.
I find it unbelievable that an adoption agency would be allowed to place a chlld into another families home and life without full consent of both biological parents. However, this is not the first time this has ever happened, and will not be the last unless strictor policies are placed on adoption agencies. The father should retain full custody of his daughter period. My step-son, who is now 10, was placed up for adoption by his mother, the fathers rights were terminated, and he was placed with another family. The father was part of the pregnancy, birth, and taking care of him and a part of his life from birth. The mother and the agency went behind his back to terminate his rights without notice. After large sums of money, time, and emotional ups and downs, the court finally had enough of the injustice for the biological father, the prespective parents, and the child, and placed him back where he belonged, with his father. My heart does go out the prospective parents, but the father did not give up his right to parent his child. That was taken from him, and taken from his daughter. I do hope that this case gets taken care of quickly so the father and child can bond. I have been in my step-sons life ever since he was returned to his father. We are very willing to help as much as possible in this situation if we can at all. Parents need to know their rights, prospective parents looking to adopt a child should really look into the agencies they are involved in and understand what could happen. I am praying for this litle girl and her father that she is returned so they can begin their life together.
How could the biololgical mother could be so cruel – to her husband and to her daughter! Unreal.
The child should be returned to her father. The adoptive couple was made aware the bio mother was married and they did not have approval from the bio father, her husband. The adoption agency told the couple they could lose the child if the father objected. They were well aware of the consequences of attempting an adoption of this child. The adoption agency was responsible for not contacting the father, knowing full well where he was stationed. The mother is equally culpable for putting this child up for adoption without father's consent. The judge was right, the appeal if allowed will be equally in the father's favor, and if they choose to attempt another Supreme Court case, they will surely lose. The child is young enough that she will be just fine living with her father. Any doubt, consider all the 'adoptions' that are considered in the child's best interest at this age and older.
The adoption agency needs to be shut down and someone there needs to be arrested, along with the family holding the child hostage. For all of you feeling sorry for the adoptive parents, Donald Trump is on the phone, says he'll be over to pick up your childrento adopt them since he can give them much more than you possibly can. THis is what happens when mothers do not know that adoption has life-long consequences to the adoptee and the birth family. I was adopted during the Baby Scoop Era when women didn't have a choice and were forced/coerced into relinquishing their babies. Almost fifty yrs old now, I am still searching to find my birth family and my history. Stranger adoption should only be done in the rarest of cases and the relinquished child should never-ever-have their name, identity and history removed from them.
I am an adoptive parent and i can say that the child should stay with the adoptive parents.That is what is right for the child.If someone tried to take my adopted child away from me,then i would fight like hell to keep her.Shes my child no matter what!So for the people that dont have adoptive kids then they shouldnt be commenting on this one.It would be ridiculous if they didnt fight for her!Shes been their child for 2 years and the father should leave this alone.
I am adopted, Bridgett. I also adopted a little girl. And I do feel for the couple that wanted to adopt and now is losing a child they have bonded to. However, they new that the father and mother were still married, they new that if he found out about the adoption that may contest it, according to the adoption agency. The adoption agency has been on suspension for many months for records mismanagement. In a few years the girl will realize that she looks different than her parents. She will want to know about her birth family. Will the adoptive parents tell her they went through a court battle against her father? When she grows up she may want to find him. To know that you were adopted under such circumstances is horrible and this is a poor precedent for all adoptions.
Let me tell everyone something they are overlooking. The "adoption" never went through. She wasn't adopted by the Freis because they could not finalize the paperwork. All the court fighting going on is the Freis trying to terminate his parental rights in Utah so they could adopt her. It didn't work and even though he is trying to work with the Freis who are flat out criminals for what they did, they are vowing not to follow the order and return her. When he goes to court on Jan 19, he needs to get an order taking her NOW. These people should be charged with child trafficking, kidnapping, the husband is a lawyer who participated in all this...take his law license, Mr. Achane is being slandered left and right...he should sue them.
I find it strange that he was never contacted before the adoption happened. Is that how they do it in Texas? Because I don't think that's how they do it anywhere else. Even if the mother says she doesn't know who the father is, they make a good faith effort to look for him. That said, he should get his daughter back. It's not right that he should lose his child because his wife, what? Wanted to spite him?
I agree most with those who are worried for the child and her emotional health. She's only ever known her adoptive parents. I know a couple two-year-olds, and I cannot imagine how dramatic it would be for her to be taken away from "her" parents at this age! I think the biological father should slowly start visiting and become part of the picture, so the child can later be informed that he's her biological daddy.
A child is not a posession. Period.
I am really sorry to hear that the mother was so deceitful and the adoption agency messed this up. What is in the best interest of the child is what should be the heart of the case...not whose posession she is.
I have a zillion questions but first would be these:
What is the home and family life of the child with the adoptive family?
What home and family life does the father offer?
Without knowing any more that what is in this article, I would say that the child should stay with the adoptive family and the father should have visitation rights starting with reaquaintnce visits and building up to something more as time moves on. I also think that the adoption agency and mother should have to pay for visitations including any transportation and lodging expenses that the father will incur... as well as "pain ans suffering," legal fees for both sides, and a settlement to cover counseling costs for all of them for the next 15-16 years.
To be honest, you have presented a very sound and sincere option for the child to stay with the adoptive parents......but the child should not even be there. It has nothing to do with possession. The child is 2 and should bemoved now while she is still so young that damage would not be severe in her development from being moved. The child needs to be with her father. Point blank, that is what is best for the child. The child needs to be raised by her family of birth. That is what is in the best interest for the child. Now, take into consideration that this child was STOLEN by these adoptive parents, who knew full well that the father never gave his consent, then you have a clearer picture of what kind of people these are and the home environment. They have one adopted child already and only wanted another black chld so they could have a playmate accessory for him. They robbed the father of two years already from the BS of legal jargon and such.....they should not rob him of the next years to follow.
Ridiculous. The adoption is not final. The agency new the mother was still married and made no effort to contact the father. The prospective parents new the birth mother was still married. The father may be a single dad, that does not disqualify him from being a good parent and the best parent for his daughter. The Freis are trying to drain him fiinances with attorney fees hoping he goes away.
Seriously, this child deserves to be with her father, who has never relinquished his right to parent her. He has been thwarted and delayed by the agency and now will be by the adopters. What morality is there in keeping a child they know is wanted by her parent? That does not speak well of them as presumptive parents. Yes, the child will be upset to lose the people to whom she has developed some attachment. However, she can attach to her father and his extended family. The fault here is the agency and the adopters, who did not ensure that the child they were taking was in fact free to be adopted.
Perhaps in the larger view, if more adopters are unable to retain the child they take without checking, there will be less coercion and fraud in adoptions. This is a typical pattern, unfortunately: shady adoption agencies or facilitators, placing children without proper consents, and then the adopters engage in long term litigation and public appeals for sympathy. The purpose of all these tactics is only to delay until they can claim the child would be traumatized. The child would be less traumatized if they first checked that the adoption is legitimate and second gave the child back to their parent(s) as soon as they realize the parent(s) still want the child. I have no sympathy for people who keep a child from her parents, just because they want to. That is not moral behaviour.
I feel so sorry for the adoptive couple losing their child, but if the adoption agency did not follow through with the appropriate documents for the legal father, then the child must be returned to the biological father. What a heartbreaking story. I too almost lost my adopted daughter just a few days after she was born, but luckly her birth mother changed her mind, but eventually gave her rights over to us. So I can relate how terrible heartbreaking it would be to wait for a beautiful baby, bond with her, and then have someone take her away. Many blessings to both sides of this tragic misfortune. Step up adoption agency YOU MADE A HUGE ERROR IN SOMEONES LIFE!!!
I see alot of people saying that they feel for these adoptive parents. Why? It you get the whole story you will learn that they where made aware of the fact that the husband would probably not consent to the adoption before the child was born. This was a fact that was stated in court documentation. The adoption also knew this as well. if they had of done the right thing from the beginning it would not have gone on this long. Give this man back his child! Because if not this is legalized kidnapping.
The biological father was definitely deceived. His former mother-in-law played more of a role in this adoption than did Tira his ex-wife. Tira was forced by her evil mother to give this baby away. Tira has a six year old daughter that she provides for extremely well. I am surprised Terry Achane did not mention that Tira has custody of the daughter she had with a boyfriend prior to their marriage. Tira needs to stop letting her evil mother ruin her life.
This is a very sad situation but the baby's well being should override what all the adults want. The only people that child has a close attachment to are the adoptive parents and it is criminal to take her away from them. I feel for the biological father because he was not given his legal rights but now it is too late to rip that child from her adoptive parents. The biological father should have liberal visitation rights so he can get to know his child and she him and maybe when the girl is older she can decide for herself.
Too late? the child is 2, she will have no memory of those people once she gets older after she is placed with her biological father. Plus, since the adoptive family knew what they were doing was illegal and wrong from the beginning, they have no legal or moral say so in the child's placement. It is criminal for anyone to think that these people can get away with stealing a child.
Reward the kidnappers? never. He wants his child when he found she was in Utah. Remember they lived in Texas and South Carolina. Just because the court took forever doesn't make what they did right.
This is why an impartial court system is needed. All emotions aside, it is obvious the biological father should have custody of his child. I understand why the adoptive parents would appeal this, and don't blame them. But at the end of the day, this man's daughter was kidnapped and now we are arguing over whether or not he should get her back. Sometimes there is no win/win. This is one of those times. But to me, the right thing to do is very clear.
more and more I'm wondering if adoptive parents aren't able to have babies naturally because perhaps the cosmos senses they have NO idea what it takes to be a selfless parent. They want everyone to understand their pain but they NEVER consider that BLOOD is the most precious bond between parent and child. and while blood doesn't gaurantee love, it is a NATURAL father's right to have his child, the child he NEVER chose to give up. I hope his wife burns in hell for what she's done to this man who did nothing but serve our country and want his child. and shame on the adoptive parents for not caring about this little girls birth right to have the most beautiful opportunity to be raised by her NATURAL father. the same goes to the couple who had to give up their adopted baby to the native american father....these adoptive parents are ridiculous. their desperation is making them forget that it's not about them, it's about the CHILD....and again EVERY child has the right to FIRST be raised by the parents who created them.
I see this from both sides. I am very disappointed that Anderson did not ask this man any hard questions. The father is only worried about what is best for him. Not once did he express concern about what is best for the child.
I was adopted at 8 months old. I also have a child now. A 2 year old child cannot be moved like a piece of luggage!! This man has no clue the damage he will do to the child. He did not say one word about her emotional needs and the horror she will suffer being taken from the only people she knows!!
He is an adult. If he has to suffer, so be it. Leave the child where she is. At the age of 4 or 5, when the child knows of her adotption, then he can start visiting her. Be a man and stop thinking only of yourself. Taking a child from her home will backfire on you and you will regret it forever.
This is the reason so many Americans adopt children internationally even though there are so many American children that need a home
Nancy,
The Frei family was informed when they were trying to adopt Taleah that Sgt. Achane hadn't been informed and there was a possibility he would contest it; they decide to take the risk and continue with the adoption, so their other adopted child (who is black), could have a sibling like him (they assert this on their blog). Taleah's birth mother gave the agency a false address for Sgt Achane–she knew where her husband was since he was stationed in South Carolina. Sgt. Achane came back and expected to see his wife and child, but his wife has disappeared; she finally told her husband she'd put the baby up for adoption and at that point, he contested it. The agency refused to give him any information and the Freis refused to give him access to his child. Sgt. Achane has fought for 18+ months to regain his child, who is now two. He didn't wait an extended period to contest this and he was married to Taleah's mother–the law is very clear–they needed consent and they didn't have it. The Freis are now refusing to comply with the judge's order; they have decided that their God has given Taleah to them. They have transgressed, not Sgt. Achane. The child should go back to him.
i agree that a child isnt a piece of furniture to be moved, but, this is only a 2 yr old, what memories do you have of being 2? this man is the father of the child, and didnt agree or even know what the mother did, doesnt he have any rights? its not like he had a 1 night stand that resulted in pregnancy, his WIFE gave their baby away.there needs to be better laws to protect men in this situation. i recognize that at the end of the day its the womans body and her choice, but i i dont think u can have your husbands baby and put it up for adoption without him having any knowledge or means to stop it.hes the biological father, he should have first choice of raising the child if the mother doesnt want to.such an unfortunate situation, no one wins no matter the outcome...
You must not know much about military life. You say that kids shouldn't be moved around like a piece of luggage? It's part of military life. It happens everyday with military dependents of ALL ages. She is at a very young age that does make it easier to adapt. It's better she transitions now with her rightful parent then when's she 4 or 5 or older. You say he's only thinking about himself? If that was the case then he wouldn't of been looking for her and fighting for her for 18 months. He's thinking like a parent and thinking with his heart. I have 3 kids and grew up a military dependent and I would go to the ends of the earth to fight for my children. I would never give up getting my kids back if they were taken from me.
What is in the best interests of the child is to be with her father the real dad not people who adopted a kid even though the father did not sign the orders okaying for the adoption to go ahead. This is criminal of the adoption agency and the people who adopted her and the mother who put the child up for adoption. You should not be able to steal a child away from a parent so easy and it is scary to know people are doing this with kids. Its almost like buying a baby on e-bay because the adopted parents paid for all this and bought the child from the adoption agency knowing their was no father that signed the orders.
I am sad for the adoptive parents in this case, but I would say that the biological father should have custody. What was done to him was very unfair. It's a really sad situation all around.
I have to agree with you Sara. It is a sad situation, but the biological father did not have a say in this adoption which is totally unfair. I also have to sympathise with the adoptive parents but they have to pu themselves in his shoes, what would they do given the same situation.
Reading the details of this story, I'm so torn between what I think the right thing is to do. I feel that the biological father was placed in a horrible situation. But I feel so bad for the adoptive parents, my heart just breaks for the hell they must be going through right now. Also in thinking of what is best for the child, I personally think it would be so traumatic to have her ripped from the only parents she has ever known. I think the best thing to happen is that the adoptive parents retain custody but the biological father receives very generous visitation rights...a child can never be loved too much!
Let the adoptive parents retain custody? You obviously are not a parent! This man's child was put up for adoption by his then WIFE! This child belongs with his father, point, blank, period.
I agree! That man was robbed of his choice. It is his RIGHT to choose whether he wanted to be a father or not. His wffe and the adoption agency robbed him of this. My heart aches for the adoptive parents because they were duped also. The brth mother should be given a complete and toal hysterectomy. She is a cruel and vile person. Women like her should not be allowed to bring anymore babies into this world. And how could her family not know that she was pregnant let alone NEVER have seen her with a child? YEAH RIGHT! That woman needs to be put away in an insrtiturtion for psych evaluation. How could the adoptive parent file an appeal? If the father abandoned the chld then I would understand, but he had no knowledge of the existenc of the child. Some people were just born evil.
Why do you feel bad for the "adoptive" parents? They knew the mother was married and that the father never consented.
I just don't agree, Danielle. The Freis should be visiting Taleah, not Sgt. Achane. He's the one who has been wronged. BTW, the Freis have said they're going to defy the judge's order are "agreeing" to visitation if Sgt. Achane comes to Utah on his own dime (to see his own child!), even though he's stationed in South Carolina. They really seem to feel that it's ok to abrogate his rights and are now trying to claim he abandoned Taleah's mother, even though he was ordered to South Carolina and Taleah's mother didn't want to go; court records show that they had joint bank accounts, not to mention her pregnancy costs were covered by the military. Doesn't sound like abandonment to me. The Freis make it clear that they want another child, even though they already have five and they're determined to take his.
This is a heartbreaking story for everyone. I do adoptions and I have to say there is a lot wrong here. First of all, he is a husband. Husbands have the same rights as wives. To place that child for adoption, they should have had the husband's consent or it shouldn't have gone through. Did the wife lie and say she wasn't married or did the adoption agency or attorney simply look the other way? If so, they should be held accountable. Everyone who participates in adoptions - agencies, attorneys, facilitators, social workers - all know that a birth father has rights and since he was so easily located (anyone in the military can be found), there is no excuse for not notifying him. If the birth mother lied in order to get the adoption done, then she should be responsible. There is no question that this father has rights and should have had access to his baby. This brings us to the present, where the baby knows no parents except the adoptive parents she has lived with. Did they know there was a husband in the military? What were they told. They may be responsible as well. If they were lied to, then it is just as tragic for them. Normally, I would never be in favor of disrupting an adoption because fathers have plenty of time before and at the time of birth to make these decisions. The fact that he was in the military and it was all withheld from him causes me to feel differently. That child belongs to him. His wife and those who aided her should be held accountable. They knowingly hid it from this father who deserves to be allowed to parent his child. If the adoptive parents have been harmed as a result of the agency's negligence in not notifying the father and giving him a chance to object, then they have an issue with the agency. This should never happen and it's only with unethical behavior that it does.
I agree with you. I just watched this on CNN and Anderson pointed out that the adoption agency knew that there was a father and that he may want custody of the child. The adoption agency then passed this information on to the adoptive parents. I am a Soldier and it is very easy to find us. His wife gave a false address for the father on purpose.
The agency and the adoptive parents knew there was a husband in the military. The adoption agency even told the adoptive parents that the father did not know of the adoption and if he did he would probably contest it. They said they knew the risks but felt that God wanted them to have this baby so they took her anyway. When the father found out where she was she was still an infant and would have transitioned more easily into his home, but they refused to return her and fought to terminate his rights. Now he has won, and they are supposed to be allowing visits so she can get to know him before moving there, and they are avoiding him. Not answering the phone, returning calls or anything. They are making it to where if and when she is moved it will be harder on her, not easier. That makes them bad people in my book, and I have no sympathy for them.
The Freis were actually informed that Sgt. Achane hadn't consented when they were trying to adopt Taleah and that there was a risk he would contest it, which as it happens he did shortly after Taleah was born (after his wife finally told him what she'd done). The birth mother gave an incorrect address for Sgt. Achane, when she knew full well where he was. This particular agency apparently didn't do much due diligence. The agency refused to give Sgt. Achane any information, saying it was their policy not to give fathers information (the agency is currently under investigation for irregularities in other adoptions). After Sgt. Achane contacted the agency, the Freis contacted him and asked him to sign off on the adoption and he said no; this was shortly was Taleah was born. It seems to me at that point, the adoption should have cancelled, but they decided to fight it, asserting that he had abandoned his wife–when in fact, he was deployed to South Carolina. He already had permission from his CO to come back for his wife and children (there is another child from his wife's previous marriage). The Freis weren't duped; they just really want Leah and say so on their blog. The Freis should return Taleah immediately to her father, but are vowing to defy the judge's order–they seem to consider themselves not bound by the law.
Thanks Tina Tyra for your professional input. I say if the adoptive parents don't turn the child over they should be arrested. If for no other reason than disobeying a judge's order.
Wow, how could the adoption agency accept the case and adopt out the child when both parents had not signed away their parental rights? I feel for and understand the stands of the couple who adopted the baby, but the father should gain full custody.
The biological father and no one else. She would find out sooner or later, better now when she can start a history with her father. The mother ought to be jailed for fraud.
Hello Beth, I understand your feelings but I do not agree. Do you have kids? Can you imagine if someone pick up yor 2 year old and walked off? Can you imagine the child screaming in terror? I don't care about the fathers rights. I care about the child. The father should apply for visitation when the child is older.
Nancy, she is not even 2 yest. She will be fine. I know from experience
But they knew who the father was and where he was and that he wanted her back, when she was just a few months old. They are the ones holding her away from him until she is old enough to really understand. They are wrong.
The adoptive mother was in on the deceptiveness with the mother. So she knew that one day this could happen. They hurt this child and this father by going behind his back and doing the adoption anyway so they deserve whatever they have coming to them. I pray this little girl has no lasting effects from the selfish acts of the mother and she understands why the father did what he did.
Do you have kids? Can you imagine your child being kidnapped as a newborn and found three months later? Then having to fight for custody for the next EIGHTEEN months? Are you willing to now accept "liberal visitation" with a child halfway across the country instead of continuing to demand that YOUR child be returned?
Absent abuse and neglect, every child has a right to be raised in his/her biological family. Unscrupulous adoption agencies want the general public to ignore that. They advise the would-be adopters to "hang on to the child" by any means necessary so they can use the "only family the child has ever known" card. It harms the child AND harms society if the courts put their blessing on what was, at the very least, custodial interference. At this point, knowing from the beginning that Teleah's father would not consent to adoption and continuing to keep her from her father – how is this not kidnapping?
Hi Nancy! Do you have children????? I have two, and I disagree with your feelings on this situatiom..... aside of the fathers feelings. It's about the child and what is best for her, and her feelings. Which is to be raised with her FATHER. Her own flesh and blood. Look at her she looks happy with her father.. I see no terror iin her eyes. It's not her fault and it is not fair to her to be just thrown away by her "MOTHER" and put up for adoption. Although her adoptive parents looks so happy to have her.. It's her right, and best for her to be with her dad, because at the end of the day blood is thicker than water. Her adoptive parents can never give her the love her own father will and can..... and ( apply for visitation when the child is older?????) How would you feel if you were in the Fathers situation?????
How would you feel if you were in his shoes having your child taken from you without your knowledge? The biological father has a right to have his daughter back. Maybe if this happened to you, your opinion and feelings wouldn't be the same and you'd want your child back. Or better yet, maybe YOU should just have visitation and suffer.
Hello Nancy.
I do have a child, but what you are referring to is kidnapping. This is the little girls' biological father, her own flesh and blood. He deserves more than visitation, and who are you to say the child is better off with the adoptive parents than her own father?
Obviously Nancy is a supporter of the Freis. Or, she doesn't know what the legal rights of a father are for a child conceived and born in wedlock. This is a kidnapping and for all their bluster about "God" being the reason they have her, they overlook that this case is riddled with sin. Sin, lies and deception are the reason they have her and they participated in it.
Hi Nancy,
The little girl is still young. Children are resilient. While this change would be an adjustment for her, she will recover; most likely she will not even have any memories of her adoptive parents. It is not uncommon for children to be adopted at this age and they do alright. Besides, what about what is in her best interests for the long run? How do you think she will feel 14, 15, 16 years from now when she discovers that her father loved her and fought for her, but her bio mother and adoptive parents conspired to keep her from him? In other news articles it is made clear that the Freis knew from the start that the father would not give consent, and by the time Teleah was a few months old he had refused to give up parental rights. If the Freis had done the moral thing and given her back to her Dad, this situation wouldn't even exist. It is their fault that Teleah will have to experience the transition from the people who raised her thus far to her real father. Ultimately, I think that Teleah's best interests will be best served if she is raised by her loving, biological dad, not the people who cared so little about her father and her right to be raised by one of her biological parents.
Without getting too negative here–good thing you aren't the decision maker. Why you even think you should have an opinion as to the disposition of the biological child is beyond me–but by your reckoning if the child was stolen from a hospital and resided with the kidnappers,\; who treated the child they kidnapped as their own–you are suggesting that for the good of that child they should be left where they are? Think before you write. The simple statement that you don't care about the father's rights speaks volumes. What of the right of the child to be with a parent who actually is the parent?
Nancy,
Again, the Freis knew full well Taleah's father hadn't consented and he didn't wait until Taleah was two. He was informed when she was two months old that she'd been adopted and immediately told them he wanted his daughter back and they refused (they're the ones who've made this difficult). The judge's ruling made clear the deception that occurred. If anyone should be visiting Taleah, it should be the Freis, not her father.
Nancy, I really don't see your reasoning for this action as the adoptive parents never should have had custody in the first place. They are victims just as much as the father, but in no case, way, form or fashion should this child be left in the custody of the adoptees as this child is still the biological father's child who is very capable of taking care of HIS child whom his vicious wife (then, anyhow) gave up for adoption out of spite for him. There was no reason for her to even do it except to spite him, and the adoption agency is just as wrong. I am an adoptive parent and I would feel horrible if I knew that my beautiful son was the product of misplacement just for financial gain. It should be the adoptive parents who seek visitation rights in the future while they await the placement of another child. Can you imagine knowning that your actual child was stolen, sold and hidden away from you while you were away because you swore an oath to DEFEND YOUR COUNTRY?! That woman needs to be in jail.
you obviously dont have kids Nacy because if this happened to one of your kids you would want that child back with you more then anything in the world. The child is 2 years old and you said in your comments that because the child is 2 she does not know any better meaning she will forget the adoptive parents even existed within a few months. A child should be with the parents at all costs not someone who adopted a kid illegally. If you are so worried about the child and its needs then why do you think its okay for someone to illegally obtain kids and should be able to keep them. That does not make sense.
First off, I am going to state that I am an adoptive parent. I adopted my children when they were 2.5 and 3.5 years old. So I do understand how the adoptive parents feel about this baby, but I am stating absolutely that this child should NEVER have been allowed to have been placed for adoption with out the father's consent. Since they did not get his consent, the child should be given back. At 2 years old, she will be just fine going back to her father. I do have experience with how children react to being adopted at this age and with how they react. She should be with her father. He did nothing to deserve losing his daughter. This was a questionable adoption. You will notice that it occurred in Utah. This state is known for allowing adoptions to occur without the father's consent, even once they know that a father has NOT consented, the still allow adoptions to proceed. They have enacted very tricky laws which have these bizarre time periods (very short), in which a biological father has to step up to contest the adoption...even if he did not know the child existed. Once this time period has passed, too bad, he has missed his window to contest. So this is why the mother chose to go to Utah to place her daughter up for adoption, because of these laws. Really, how many states do you think allow a woman to put her husband's (who is in the military) child up for adoption, without his consent? No question, in this case, the child needs to go back to the father. If she were 5 or 6 years old, then the situation would be different, then she would have many more issues with loosing her adoptive parents and reintegrating with her bio father, but really the longer this goes on the harder it will be...which is why the adoptive family will fight as long as they can. I do understand how they feel, how devastating it will be to loose this baby who has become theirs, but ethically I know that I would not be able to live with myself if I knew that my children had been stolen from their biological family, which is exactly what happened in this case.
This father deserves a chance to know his child
What a terrible moral dilemma! The biological father has definitely shown an interest & determination to raise his child in spite of the roadblocks thrown down by the mother & others, it is sad that the process has taken this long to return the child to him. It is just as sad that the adoptive parents were given a child under false pretenses of the mother & therefore bonded with this innocent child. It would take the wisdom of King Soloman to be able to decide who should get this babygirl..ouch, my heart breaks for both sides!
It wasn't false pretenses. The mother started out that way but the Freis were fully informed that the father never consented. Again, they never adopted her...this court fight has been an attempt to terminate his parental rights. They failed and now say they won't give her back no matter what. Where is the FBI investigating them for buying/kidnapping/trafficking children. Mr. Freis is a lawyer. He should have his law license pulled for participating in this fraud.
I am a social worker in Alabama and while it is a difficult situation for both sides, at the end of the day the baby should be with her biological. If the father had no idea the baby was put up for adoption than he should not be asked to give up his parental rights. While they are at it they should put the biological mother in jail for kidnapping.
And the adoption agency and the Freis for kidnapping. Can you believe what they said? They knew when the baby was 4 months old the father hadn't consented and they stated in open court that they "felt no obligation to return her". OMG, who does this?
The Father should get the baby back, he never waived his parental rights.
Wow, unbelievable. Of course he is entitled to have his daughter. She belongs to him. The agency that handled that adoption should be sued. And the couple that adopted the little girl? Well, that's unfortunate for them, but seriously, they are appealing? That's almost as ridiculous as the Mother putting the little girl up for adoption in the first place without asking or telling the Father. Clearly the courts need to give this baby back to it's daddy.