Arkansas representative under fire for rehoming his adopted kids
An Arkansas case is highlighting the聽need for more post-adoption support services and regulations.聽
Arkansas State representative Justin Harris and his wife, who adopted two girls, ages 6 and 3, in 2013, reportedly 鈥渞ehomed鈥� them to a man who has since the older girl. In many states there are no laws against rehoming, or moving, an adoptive child with no vetting process required.聽
鈥淭he truth will come out,鈥� said to television reporters this week in response to the allegations.
Eric Cameron Francis was arrested in April 2014 by the Arkansas State Police for the rape of a 6-year-old girl police said was in his temporary care. Mr. Francis was sentenced to 40 years in prison, according to .
The ties between Francis and Harris only emerged in news reports this week. Francis had been employed as head teacher at a 海角大神 preschool owned by Harris and his wife, Marsha.
The Arkansas Times, ,聽wrote that Harris announced on Twitter and Facebook in March 2013 that he had adopted the girls. Reports state the Harris' gave the girls away, first to Francis and his wife, and then to another unnamed family. 聽
When an adoptive parent gives their adopted child to another home it is known as 鈥渞ehoming鈥� according to Amy Webb, a DHS spokesperson who spoke to KATV and said that in Arkansas DHS is aware of nine cases of 鈥渞ehoming鈥� within the last two years.
Adoptive parents are given hours of training, criminal background checks, and in some cases lengthy trial period, but there are no similar safeguards or processes for children who are rehomed. Rehoming, which is largely unregulated, may be executed by a simple power-of-attorney letter or a notarized statement, according to聽.
As a parent, I find it hard to decide which is more disturbing, the fact that children are being rehomed without regulation, or that it takes the rape of a young girl to bring this issue to light. It鈥檚 hard to imagine any dedicated parent, adoptive or birth, not cringing at this story.
Friends I know who have adopted children were unsurprised by the news of this case. All had heard about children in the foster care system who became deeply emotionally scarred due to rehoming. One couple I know privately adopted a baby rather than go through the foster care system after learning about rehoming.
In light of what has happened to these little girls it's time for all parents, adoptive and birth, to call upon legislators to start digging into these unregulated rehomings. Animal welfare agencies, such as聽聽have stricter adoption rules and post-adoptive guidelines than our nation's child welfare agencies.聽Does our society care no more for the long-term welfare of adopted children than we do for a stray animal?聽
