Should he stay or should he go?

[thedeadlyassassin]

Well, here in Oregon there's been a few weeks about a 2 year old named Gabriel that was taken into foster care because his father and mother were... well... criminals and unfit to raise a child.

The foster parents, after caring for him for about 20 months, wants to finally adopt the kid. I don't know the whole story, since I've been just viewing the news and haven't been paying close attention, but the Grandmother says "no, he is family, and I should take care of him" or something like that.

The real question here is, what makes family, blood or the people who cared about you?

There's more to the story, I couldn't find it on my local news webpage, but it just got national so if someone wants to look into it more that'd be great.


Anyways, what do you think? Should the child stay here in Oregon? Or should he be shipped to live with his Grandmother?

May I also add that no matter where he goes, both the places would be a great place for him to grow up.

[drunken_chef]

per usual, not enough info in your poll to make an informed decision.

[Trooper110]

Yeah, haven't seen anything on this yet, and really no information listed in your post. And I'm too tired to try to dig up an article. So I'll abstain for the moment.

[Dead_And_Gone]

I agree, just not enough information. Is grandpa at poverty level?
Not that the courts worry about that these days, but just for more info.

I personally don't want kids going back to mothers who were drugged or
crack-heads while pregnant. Nor doing drugs or crime in front of the kids.

Having said that, courts recently gave 2 kids back to a druggy lady who
had "Reformed". Pics of her looked pretty ratty, and her guy/fiancee
looked like he was just off a 3 day drunk. The 2 kids were in a
upper middle class family that was trying to adopt them.

Frankly, giving kids to "relatives" instead of foster parent who WANT to
adopt is a little nuts IMO. The Relatives weren't around when the kids
were abused or neglected, but now everything is just Peachy to take
them now? Give me a break...

Because someone is female does NOT mean they have ANY mother
instincts, ANY paternal instincts, AND caring or fostering feelings or
attitudes. Same goes for Men. (Or grandparents)

Is grandpa going to put the kids in a Slop Shop for 12hrs a day to make
money? Seen too many horror stories there, especially in Mexico where
the laws are abit more lax as far as child labor goes. What about
education there. Will the kids even learn how to read and write? Have
proper medical care? Clothes? Opportunities?

I think the entire "Give them to family members" isn't what it is
cracked up to be by the courts/media.

[thedeadlyassassin]

Well thanks for stating the obvious :P

I mentioned that I donno too much on this subject, but it seems like a big topic, maybe others would know more. And what do you mean per usual?

[ViTO]

First off.. lets stay civil, these threads move south real quick !!

Here is the background on the subject....
__________________________________________________ _________

Foster family fears Ore. boy will be sent to Mexico by state

02:58 PM PDT on Tuesday, October 2, 2007



TOLEDO, Ore. -- A two-year-old Oregon boy is at the center of a controversial custody ruling that would send him to Mexico to live with his biological grandmother and possibly with his convicted child-rapist father.

Last week, an adoption committee consisting of Oregon Department of Human Services employees and members not affiliated with DHS ruled that Gabriel Allred should live with his grandmother in Mexico, despite the fact that he is an American citizen, DHS said.

The child?s foster parents apparently learned that his biological father, Roberto Valiente-Martinez, will live in the home with his mother and young son.

Police mug shots

The boy's biological parents.

Roberto Valiente-Martinez will be deported to Mexico, authorities said. In 2000, he pleaded guilty to raping a 12-year-old girl and was sentenced to five years in prison, records show.

He has also been convicted on drug charges.

Both the child?s biological mother and father lost their parental rights, according to DHS.

Foster parents Steve and Angela Brandt of Toledo, Ore., said they want to adopt Allred. They have appealed the preliminary ruling.

?The goal of DHS is to get children out of the foster system as quickly as possible and if they cannot be returned to their parents? then by law we must look at other relatives,? said Ann Snyder with the DHS Office of Communications.

She added, however, that DHS is ?taking another look at the preliminary decision based on information in the appeal.?









FOLLOW-UP.

The foster parents of a two-year-old Oregon boy at the center of a controversial custody ruling will fight the state's decision to send the boy to Mexico.



Gabriel Allred and foster dad Steve Brandt.

"We?re gonna do what we gotta do to keep him safe," foster father Steve Brandt told kgw.com Tuesday. "We need to get it out of DHS? hands... they didn?t take into account his best interest."

The Department of Human Services Friday upheld a recent ruling to send two-year-old Gabriel Allred -- who was born in the U.S. -- to Mexico to live with his biological grandmother.

Steve and Angela Brandt have been raising Allred in Toledo, a small town on the Oregon Coast, where Steve works as a Lincoln County sheriff's deputy.

Background: Foster family fears for boy's safety

The couple has said they learned Allred's biological father, convicted child rapist Roberto Valiente-Martinez, will live in the home with his mother and young son.

The grandmother has assured the state that the boy's father will not be allowed to visit. She will be eligible for about $400 a month from Oregon until the boy turns 18, KGW learned.

She also said members of the extended family, including some who live next door, will help her raise the child.

Valiente-Martinez pleaded guilty in 2000 to raping a 12-year-old girl and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to court records. He has also been convicted on drug charges.

Both the child?s biological mother and father lost their parental rights, according to DHS.

Foster parents were expecting to become boy's adoptive parents

Steve Brandt said he and his wife were expecting to become the boy's adoptive parents before an Oregon Department of Human Services adoption committee decided last month that the boy should be sent to Mexico to live with his paternal grandmother.

Brandt said Gabriel was born in Oregon and is an American citizen. The boy's mother lost her custody rights, Brandt said.

Gabriel's mother pleaded guilty to felony drug charges and hindering prosecution in Lincoln County last year but failed to appear for sentencing, resulting in a warrant for her arrest, court records show. She remains at large.

In addition to Gabriel, the Brandts have four other foster children, all boys, and live on a farm in the rural area along the Pacific Ocean.

The Brandts set up a defense fund for Gabriel. Donations can be made at Washington Mutual banks.

[Thrashdragon]

It's disgusting that the father was only given 5 years for raping a 12 year old. He should be executed, the mother sterilized, and the kid should stay right where he is, with people that obviously love him.

[Sirex]

You do know this will not come down to whats best for the kid, they will decide based on diplomatic relations.

[Trooper110]

Well of course. Get enough people pissed off though and that could suddenly change. Although with the current administration, doing anything rational and that the American people want done isn't always guaranteed...

[rafles]

It's disgusting that the father was only given 5 years for raping a 12 year old. He should be executed, the mother sterilized, and the kid should stay right where he is, with people that obviously love him.

+100