Judge says "I will only allow adoption if one parent stays home" (moral commitment clause)

[Mari333]

this judge is in my county..


'MATTAWAN -- Gabe and Allison Shockley began to arrange the adoption of their second child early in the birth mother's pregnancy. They attended every prenatal doctor's appointment. They were present at the baby's birth in Indiana.
The couple thought they had covered every detail.

But the Shockleys, of Mattawan, didn't know about Van Buren County Probate Judge Frank Willis' "moral commitment."

Willis requires parents who adopt infants in his county to agree that one of them will be home with the baby during the first year and won't work full time during the baby's preschool years. Willis is perhaps the only justice in Michigan to require such a pledge, which he acknowledges is not legally binding and may be offensive and outdated to some.'





http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/05/van_buren_county_judge_has_his.html

[seabeyond]

1. not binding and i like it, and either parent so not sexist.... works for me. n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

2. I wish every couple could make that possible for every child.

It would make for a better world.

[seabeyond]

3. i agree, n/t

[Mythsaje]

4. Great notion, if impossible given the economy. n/t

[NightWatcher]

6. maybe at least one of the parents is laid off, so no prob there

[Mythsaje]

7. Unless they're collecting unemployment

and required to LOOK for work. Can't really do that when you're lugging around a baby.

[w4rma]

5. It would be nice to restructure the economy so that this is possible again. (nt)

[Deja Q]

10. As a result, there'd be less crime, fewer delinquent children, fewer bullied by delinquents...

It's a win/win/win/win situation.

[Deja Q]

8. Maybe he can order the corporations to provide well paying middle class jobs too, circa 1955.

:shrug:

[rateyes]

9. If that judge won't let that adoption go through, the adoptive parents

should appeal. Of course it's not legal.

[RoseMead]

11. We're doing it

We're dead broke, but we're doing it. And having one parent home full time has made a huge difference for our kids. But the financial consequences are tough.

[seabeyond]

12. in a way. depends on the potential earning. i look at what i am capable of earning without degree

i look at what i save in gas, clothes, saving, cooking meals, and watching what i spend on. no lunch out, no starbuck coffee daily. generally two working home has more eating out, dry cleaning bills, not to mention daycare which is high. would take all our earning. and depending on mates salary, the tax bracket i would be put into would take the most out of my paycheck, even though i am making a low wage.

so i found, probably, i would be saving more money not working than working

but yes... it is well worth it with the children

[LadyHawkAZ]

13. -spits drink-

Whaaaat?

Adoption isn't miserable enough. The years-long wait isn't bad enough. Waiting to see if the mother will back out isn't bad enough. The foot-thick pile of paperwork, the home inspections, the counseling sessions, the background checks- not humiliating enough. Let's throw in one more little bit of hell to the pile so that we can get a warm fuzzy feeling and our name in the paper. What a total, utter, complete jerk of a judge.

The son I gave up for adoption turned ten years old yesterday. The adopting parents took three months off after they brought him home. He is a healthy, happy, well-adjusted young man.

Adoption's hard enough without some condescending ass in a robe dumping his Views on people.

[Chemisse]

14. That would be the best-case situation for a child, but the judge is a jerk for mandating it.

[zbdent]

15. so, if the only job one can get is under the liveable wages,

the judge is advocating going on welfare just to adopt the child?

and the only way that they can afford to keep the child is if both parents work?

Boggles the mind ...

[alarimer]

16. Fuck you, Judge.

What if they need the money? And some people like to work, so fuck you, you moralistic piece of shit.