HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio couple committed a crimewhen they recently gave child welfare
officials a 9-year-old boy theyraised from infancy, a prosecutor has said.The parents indictedon misdemeanor
counts of nonsupport allegedly left the boy withchildren’s services after saying he was displaying
aggressive behaviorand earlier threatened the family with a knife. They were due in aButler County court on
Wednesday. Cleveland Cox, 49, his 52-year-oldwife, Lisa, and their attorney, Anthony Vannoy, did not
immediatelyreturn calls for comment.Adolfo Olivas, an attorney appointed bythe court to protect the boy’s
interests, has said the emotionally hurtand confused child is now receiving help that the parents should
havegotten for him.People within the adoption community say theyworry about emotional trauma to the child.
They say giving up a childafter so much time is rare and undermines the stability and commitmentthat adopted
children need.Christopher Hehn, of Greenwood, Ind.,knows the importance of commitment after being shuffled
from foster hometo foster home before a social worker adopted him at age 12."Whenthe going got tough,
it was out the door for me," Hehn said. "But when Iwas adopted, my mother said it was forever, no
matter what. She stuckit out, and I was finally able to trust again."Sixto Cancel, a21-year Virginia
Commonwealth University junior in Richmond, Va., alsostressed the importance of stability for adopted
children.Cancel said he experienced abuse and never found a good fit, moving from a troubled adoptive home
to foster care homes.Asan adoptee, "you need reassurance that you are not alone," said Cancel,who
also is an advocate for adopted and fostered children.Gregand Robin Smith, of New Richmond, about 17 miles
southeast ofCincinnati, became adoptive parents in a ceremony last week, adoptingfour siblings — ages 5 to
12 — who they cared for as foster children forover three years.Robin Smith acknowledged some anger and
otherissues among the children, stemming from their experiences before comingto the Smiths."But you
just can’t give up on children, not matter how hard the situation is," she said.Twobiological brothers
adopted this month by the Rev. Edward Byers andwife Darnette, of Cincinnati, say they know the 9-year-old
must feeldepressed and lonely."I know what it’s like to move from house tohouse," said the
youngest brother, 14-year-old Tyshawn. "But I wouldtell him to stay in there and not give
up."Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser has said there are legal consequences to what he called
"reckless" abandonment.Nationaladoption advocates say failed adoptions or dissolutions are rare
incases where the child has been raised from infancy. They said suchdiscord seems to occur more often with
youths adopted at an older age.ButKathleen Strottman, executive director of the
Washington-basedCongressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, said that while thereseems to be less trauma
in children placed with adoptive parents asinfants, emotional and behavioral issues can surface long
afteradoption.Strottman said she was concerned about the wellbeing ofthe Ohio child, but she also worried
that the threat of criminalprosecution could discourage adoptive parents from seeking help."I’mhoping
that ultimately there was a good cause for this prosecution,"she said. "What everyone wants is a
child protection system that firstand always stays focused on the needs of the child."Copyright 2013
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