Father’s Rights in a Failed Adoption

Thirty-four year old Craig Lentz has been fighting to gain custody of his son for 6 years. The birthmother supports his fight. At the time of Noah’s birth, Craig lived in a different city than his girlfriend/mother of his child. She “moved in with a couple, she later says convinced her to place the baby in foster care without Craig’s knowledge.”

The birthmother signed away her parental rights only after staying “with these people for ten days while they recorded prophecies and played them over and over again and told her she was a bad mother,” said Lentz.”

This couple, Stuart and Megan Taylor, were awarded custody of Noah. “[T]he couple’s adoption was reversed by Missouri’s State Supreme Court. The high court recommended reunification between Noah and Craig, but in reality he only got monthly visits while the Taylor’s appealed. Lentz says he had visits with Noah until he was 3 years old.”

Then, “Jackson County Family Court again awarded the Taylors adoption of Noah even though the Supreme Court had ruled that Noah couldn’t be adopted. Just before that ruling, the Taylor’s changed Noah’s named and begin calling him “Jared.”

Two years ago the Taylor’s moved to Texas. Craig was the victim of a serious car accident and has not been allowed to visit Noah since that time. According to Craig, “[T]he Guardian Ad Litem, who’s appointed to represent Noah, wrote “The impact on the child seeing the father in a less than favorable state than what the child last viewed Mr. Lentz in might be traumatic for the child.”

Reunification?
“Earlier this month, the Western Missouri Court of Appeals announced it’s latest ruling. The 3-judge panel says the Taylor’s can no longer call Noah, “Jared” and must move from Texas back to Kansas City by the end of the school year. The Appeals Court says the Jackson County Family Court must implement a reunification plan that awards Craig Lentz custody of his son by the end of the summer.

Lentz tells FOX 4 that he’s happy with the ruling but worries Jackson County Family Court may ignore the higher court’s ruling. He says he won’t be satisfied until Noah is home.”

We sincerely hope that Mr. Lentz gains custody of his child soon and that they have whatever counseling is necessary to transition this child to live with his father. This disgusting injustice again showcases that the law is often on the side of the coercive parties who hope to drag out cases so they can use time that the child has been with them as the reason to keep the child. This adoptive parent entitlement is plain wrong!

http://tinyurl.com/4e8dln5
[Fox 4KC 2/9/11 by Rob Low]

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