After child neglect conviction, Minnesota family starts over

On Behalf of | Jul 5, 2012 | Child Abuse

People, even parents, do things that they end up regretting throughout the course of their lives. A Minnesota father who admits to leaving his 11-year-old son and taking off for California has faced the wrongdoing he committed in abandoning his boy. He has returned to Minnesota, where his young son and members of the family are putting their family life back together.

The father in this case reportedly ran into the hard times that so many families have hit due to the economy and job market. In response to his stress over losing his Minnesota home and not being able to find work, the father took action that ultimately resulted in him being convicted of child neglect and losing rights regarding his son.

Last summer, the father left his son with no other custodial or other family arrangements set. At the time, the mother didn’t have custody of the boy, though now the boy is living under her permanent care. The father’s actions and the fact that the boy has his mother now, however, don’t mean that the son and father will have no relationship.

The Pioneer Press reports that the father is back in Minnesota after having been extradited here for the neglect charge. With the careful organization between the boy’s other family and court-required supervision, the boy and his dad have had and will continue to have meetings and counseling sessions together.

There is no change regarding child custody in the works. The supervised meetings are attempts to foster the father-child relationship that is so important in a child’s life. If there is no evidence that the father’s presence in the boy’s life will put the child in danger, then nurturing that connection in a responsible manner is in the best interest of the child and the entire family.

Source: Pioneer Press, “Lakeville father reunited with the son he abandoned,” Maricella Miranda, June 22, 2012