Relatives want to take the baby, parents (declared unfit) don’t want them to.

[Anonymous5325]

Jurisdiction

Oklahoma

Father of a baby has severe mental illness and his infant son was recently taken away from him by the state. The baby's grandparents are taking care of him temporarily and his aunt and uncle want to foster and potentially adopt him, but the father has decided that he does not want the baby to stay with relatives. Do the parents have the right to keep the baby away, or can the relatives keep the baby so he is with family instead of strangers?

 

[mightymoose]

Neither of them have any control over it. They are at the mercy of state. Decisions will be made by state agencies that are determined to be in the child's best interest. That may or may not include placement with relatives. Interested family members can certainly express interest but would have to clear some hurdles.

 

[zddoodah]

Do the parents have the right to keep the baby away, or can the relatives keep the baby so he is with family instead of strangers?

According to you, the child was taken from the father by the state and placed with one of the two sets of grandparents. Your post is oddly silent about the child's mother. In any event, as long as the child is a ward of the state, the parents don't get a say in where the kid stays.