Shawnee awarded custody of infant
OKLAHOMA CITY— An Oklahoma judge has awarded custody of Desaray, a four-month old Native American girl to the Absentee Shawnee Tribe following a South Carolina couple's attempt to adopt the infant.
Baby Desaray was born in May in Oklahoma. A couple in South Carolina who sought to adopt her returned with her to their home. But the infant's biological father sought custody. Because Desaray's biological mother is a tribal member, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe stepped in and the tribe was awarded custody last week.
The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 has federally mandated that Native children should be placed with other tribal members if the parent is unable.
Raymond W. Godwin and Nightlight Christian Adoption Agency is also responsible for this case.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nightlight is a corporation with Laura Godwin, its
CEO/director, and Ronald Stoddart as Principal Officer for tax purposes.
In 2011 alone, they grossed $2,747,914. Nightlight is licensed in
Colorado, California, South Carolina and in Kentucky so far.
Now in two
lawsuits over Native American babies they attempted to place for
adoption...
Raymond W. Godwin, called an unethical adoption attorney, was the original
adoption attorney for Matt and Melanie Capobianco and is also involved in
this dispute called #BABY DESARAY.
His wife Laura is the director of the Nightlight adoption agency
that handled the Baby Veronica placement/adoption.
- http://www.adoptionbirthmothers.com/the-unethical-adoption-seizure-of-veronica-brown/
Who will be given priority for custody of Baby Desaray? Her non-Native American natural father or her maternal grandmother? Also, is this the correct spelling of the child's name? I've seen it spelled three different ways. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe AP reported her name spelled Desaray. The tribe will decide custody and it has not been reported, Robin. But I'll keep posting as news develops.
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