[alpacamom]

I don't know if anyone else has had this problem, but any suggestions would be helpful. I am adopting 2 special needs girls, both 12, from a broken adoption. I have just found out that both girls had lifebooks, but former adoptive mom is refusing to give the books back to the girls. Is there anything that can be done legally to get these back?

[Peggy]

That seems very petty and odd. Can you ask her for duplicates of photos and offer to pay for them? Maybe you have tried that already.

[alpacamom]

Let's just say that she does not know me and I don't know her, but reputation is scary. My approaching her is not an option and their is a hostile relationship with state agency.

[lucyjoy]

Anything that was in the kids books before they got to that foster parent belongs to the kids. The guardian et litem might be able to get the court to order their return. However, the foster mom could claim not to have them. This happened to three sibs I adopted as the other foster mom was angry at not being allowed to adopt the kids(whole other story). The next foster parent started over and we did our best to piece together as much as we could from the past. Sometimes the case workers will have old pictures of the kids in their records. That might help you start up a new book.

[alpacamom]

I am starting a new book for them, but these girls are 12 years old. And, the book isn't with a foster home, but a previous adoptive home. I am sure she is doing this for spite. I just feel bad for the girls since they have lost 12 years of their childhood. Even if she would return the original books with baby pictures and keep anything else. I just don't think there is going to be anything that can be done. The original adoption was through a private agency.

[lucyjoy]

That does make things a lot tougher. I have an 11 year old right now who's previous adoptive mother keeps promising to send him some pictures from his life but as of yet hasn't. I'm hoping as she deals with her grief and loss over this failed adoption, she'll be more able to put his needs first.