Pending Legislation In Ohio Hb 144

Imagine this...you or your child divorces a abusive spouse, that spouse never wanted anything to do with your child but, use him/her for controll. Now add in the fact that the abusive spouses parent is also abusive and controlling, that person is your child's grandparent. The grandparent pushes the abusive parent to go after visitation rights, rights are given by the judge, because of proven abuse and neglect during visitation and the fact that abusive parent moved out of state to follow his mother then visitation rights are taen away, enter abusive grandmother..files for visitation rights and because of grandparent visitation rights laws and the pre-conceived idea that most judges have that grandparent contact is in the best interest of the child, and the prejudices that the judge brings into the court room despite testimony and proof of abusive acts and domestic violence in volving the grandmother the judge orders visitation anyway. The parent fights to protect her child and is threatened repeatedly with jail in the meantime abusive father has paid no support and has not attempted contact for over a year, so step-father files for adoption and wins the right to adopt. The state of Ohio currently does not allow for visitation with post adoptive relatives after step-parent adoption...therefore finally the child is protected. WRONG!!! Ohio has current legislation pending called HB 144 that will allow relative visitation rights after step-parent adoption..they are not going to allow it after "stranger adoption " the difference they are maing is un-constitutional. Ohio is saying that a child adopted by a step-parent does not have the same right to a new life and beginning as a child adopted by a stranger!? What will be the sence in a step-parent adopting their step-child if you can be court ordered to allow contact with the biological relatives ? Please write in opposition to grandparent visitation rights and to pending HB 144, to ALL of Ohio's representatives, I can't do it alone and one day this may be you or your child facing these laws and a judge in a court room taing you right to mae desisions regarding the best interest of your child. For more information go to parentsrights.org or to parentsrights.com Than you, A grandma in Ohio

I totally agree. I have had to deal with a situation like this. Luckily, The grandparnets did not go for grandparent visitation. They threatened it though. I am from Minnesota and I am not sure on what the laws for grandparent visitation are here. They never saw the kids when I was married to their father. Basically only Christmas or Maybe birthdays, and they only lived a few blocks away. After I seperated with my ex ( who was abusive) They never attempted contact even though they encouraged my ex to take the kids away. Well that didnt happen because he was abusive. His father was abusive to me also. He was very verbally abusive, not physically. When he found out about the Stepparent adoption it had been over 2 years with no contact with him or the kids bf. He was not happy and again told his son to fight it and wrote me a couple of nasty emails. Then the bf went into hiding assuming that would stop us from doing it. Well he was wrong. My lawyer tried calling his father but he just yelled at her basically stating he would not tell us where he was and we would not find him. So we proceeded without him. Well it is done now and I am sure he is not too happy. I feel that it should be the parents choice of who spends time with their child. I would not stop visitation if the grandparents were around and it was the best for the child. In fact I do still stay in contact with the bf's grandmother and I would allow her to see the kids anytime. She has always been there for them even though she lives out of state. I understand that some may abuse this with good grandparents and I am sorry about that but we need to protect our children from the ones who are not good. Good luck. I did sign that petition! Even though I don't live there. I would sign one here if there was one!

THANC YOU!! Finally someone that understands. The parents rights sites that I gave have discussion boards, maybe you would lice to help in some way. Please feel free to post on the boards, you will not believe the stuff happening to parents because of Grandparent vistation laws. Thancs again. [ btw a letter on my eyboard doesn't wor , that's why things are missed spelled ] A Grandma in Ohio

I need any concrete advice, or prayers, I can recieve. I am a step-mom to a beautiful little girl who deserves a stable life. My husband and I meet 2 years, i was a childcare provider and we were very causually dating. I cared for his daughter during the day and soon his very unstable ex-girlfriend began to use me (literally, she never paid) for childcare. I knew immediatly that something was seriously effecting the baby. she was 3 and would throw tantrums that rivalled a 2 year old. she wet the bed and had terrible nightmares. Her mother often "forgot " to pick her up and didn't actually know my address. within 1 month she was with me 5 out of 7 nights and days. Blessedly children's services intervened, mom was a drug addict and had explicit sex parties with numerous strangers in her daughters presense. My newest baby began therepy and we discovered multiple sexual abuses and exposures that would sicken the average adult. Mother never followed through with any of her consoling, or her visitaions, or child support, but did give my husband full custudy. Now after 6 months of no contact (she did try to call twice though never left a message.) she is pursueing unsupervised visitation, right as "my" baby is working through the molestation her mother inflicted on her personally while her mother was high. How can I abopt her? I know her "mother" will never agree, she uses any oppurtunity to play power games with us and manipulate our child. We have another younger child in the home who has been effected by this and our expecting one of our own. (we joke, his, hers, ours!) I couldn't love "my" baby more and I am willing to do whatever it takes, but I've been told that our area never terminates parental rights. what do I do to protect my child? terranmother@yahoo.com

I am so sorry , my prayers are with you and your family. We were told repeatedly something along the lines of what you have been told " it's almost impossible to tace away "parental rights " But, it is not impossible. I would suggest you get a attorney ( a good one ) and counter file for termination of parental rights and file to adopt. Subpena all wittness'es including children services records of abuse, document all interaction that you and the child have had with this woman and any wittness'es to collaberate. I am not an expert by any means on this subject, I am just a parent that has been through the wringer in the court system. The best advice I can give you is to document EVERYTHING all interaction , all events, this can be as simple as writing dates and times down in a notebooc. Have your attorney subpeana all police records, etc. in any county that you cnow or thinc she might have incidence reports in. Also line up charachter wittness's for yourself and your husband. The first step is to retain an attorney. good lucc Please excuse my post for the mis-spelling a letter on my pc is not in operation and I am not very good with computers, so I can't find the spell checc here either.

Tnank you for your reply and prayers. We hired an attorney and have notified as many agencies as possible that we think may be able to help. Hopefully our prayers will be answered in short order, even though I know God's always right on time, I also know I am as impatient as they come! I'll keep you posted.

I'm glad you have found an Attorney, hopefully he is a good one. and has handled cases such as yours before and won them. Which by the way you can asc him about, and you can also go to the Ohio courts on line and looc for any cases that he has litigated and there outcome. Always a good idea to mace sure your attorney cnows what he is doing, I learned that the hard way. Good lucc, and let me cnow how it goes.

I am the mother of two beautiful children. My ex-husband and I both adopted them at 6 weeks old. ( My children are now 12 yrs and 15 yrs old) My ex-husband became very abusive and controlling. I filed for divoce. My ex fought me for custody. After a long court battle I received full custody and he has visitation rights. I've been remarried for 9 yrs. My EX has not visited or contacted them in two years But he pays child support. MY girls desperately want my husband to adopt them. I filed an order and my controlling EX refuses to give up rights. Eventhough he doesn't call or visit. He's just a control freak. Does anyone know anything about step-parent adoption? Or has anyone been in this situation? I could really use some advice!!! thank you. I live in OHIO. PML