ACLU Gets State of Georgia to Return Child to Lesbian Mother

The American Civil Liberties Union announced Monday that it had been successful in its bid to have a 7-year-old girl, Emma, reunited with Elizabeth Hadaway, the woman who had been taking care of Emma at the request of Emma's biological mother.

Emma was removed from Hadaway's care on February 20th 2007, after Wilkinson County Judge John Lee Parrott learned that Hadaway was a lesbian. The judge ordered Emma be removed from the home she shared with Hadaway despite testimony from Emma's biological mother who stated that she wanted Hadaway to adopt Emma, according to the ACLU .

Emma was subsequently placed in what the ACLU described as an overcrowded foster home where she remained until the ACLU was victorious in its court bid to have the girl returned to Hadaway. Emma was returned to Hadaway on Friday after an expert commissioned by the Wilkinson county Division of Family and Children services testified that Emma was not receiving the attention that she needed and previously had when living with Hadaway. The expert also claimed that Emma had suffered emotional distress due to her separation from Hadaway. DFCS decided that the biological mother's wishes should be honored when it decided to return Emma to Hadaway's care.

By all accounts Emma had thrived while being cared for by Hadaway, a 28 year old paramedic. The child's grades, self-confidence, and self-esteem, flourished until she was removed from Hadaway's care. According to the ACLU Hadaway had this to say about the ordeal: "Emma and I missed each other so much while we were separated, and I hope she can put this painful experience behind her quickly. But I'm grateful to DFCS for recognizing that Emma's biological mother always had her best interests at heart in wanting her to live with me."