GARDNER, Kan. — John and Nicole DeHaven of Gardner, Kansas, agreed to foster a newborn girl in October 2019 through Cornerstones of Care.
That little girl, who they affectionately refer to as their daughter, is still in their care — but they are unsure for how long.
On Tuesday, the child welfare systems oversight committee for the state of Kansas held a press conference calling for the Department of Children and Families to stop sending any new foster children to Cornerstones of Care, alleging a lack of honesty and transparency by both agencies in this case.
The child in question has three biological siblings who live in another home.
Cornerstones of Care has approved an adoption that would remove all four children from their current homes and place them together in a new one.
It’s important to note that DCF policy maintains the importance of keeping siblings together.
State lawmakers and the DeHaven’s insist that their case is unique because the children in question have never lived together.
Cornerstones of Care sent KSHB 41 a statement which reads in part, “Our recommendations to keep siblings together are based on multiple research studies and evidence that siblings raised together experience better long-term, healthy outcomes.”
The question so many are raising though: why wasn’t the move toward permanency more urgent?
“They just kept on pushing it back and pushing it back and pushing it back," John DeHaven said. "It became pretty clear that they were not going to do what we felt was in the best interest of our little girl.”
Kansas Sen. Molly Baumgardner told KSHB 41 that she's not sold on the explanation that Cornerstone and the DCF have given.
“(They) Have hunkered down and stuck with their story and there’s just too much contradictory information to believe that," Baumgardner said.
At this point, DCF, Cornerstones or the state child advocate appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly would have to step in to stop the adoption from moving forward. There’s no indication that will happen.
The committee has scheduled a special meeting for Oct. 26. Until then, the DeHaven’s will wait until the day they have to say goodbye.
“It’s just like having your soul ripped out. You feel so helpless as a parent that you in this case you can’t protect her,” Nicole DeHaven said.
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