Dad given custody of surrendered baby

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The father of a baby that was surrendered by her mother to a Grand Rapids fire station earlier this week was awarded custody of the 3-month-old girl on Friday.

In a lengthy court hearing, Court Referee Deborah McNabb awarded the father sole custody under the supervision of the Department of Human Services.

His skills as a father were deemed adequate, and though he has a previous felony conviction in his background, he was given custody.

According to an employee with DHS, Mom and Dad had custody that alternated every three weeks. The baby was in its mother's care for five days of her three weeks when she surrendered custody of the baby at a fire station on Franklin.

A DHS rule prevented the employee from recommending the baby be placed with the father because of a felony conviction within the past five years. But she added she has no problem with the father's living conditions, ability to take care of the girl, or the track record that he has continuously taken care of the child.

The court referee decided to award custody to the dad based on all the information provided.

Asked what he planned to do now, the dad told 24 Hour News 8, "She can't talk and understand pretty much, so all I can do is give her my unconditional love like I've been doing."

The father said he has learned a valuable lesson from this ordeal. "You got to be careful who you have your shorties by," said the 3-month old's father, referring to choosing someone with whom to reproduce. "Get to know one another before you step up and start sleeping with individuals."

The mother who surrendered the girl has two other children, ages 7 and 3, with another partner. She allegedly told case workers of abuse of those older children, suicidal thoughts, admitted drug use and rages.

The court awarded custody of those children to the other partner, and ordered the mother to leave the house immediately.

She will have no custody of any of the three children. She will be allowed to visit the children, though the details of those DHS-supervised visits has not been determined.

The mother declined comment to 24 Hour News 8.

Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth, who earlier decided not to pursue any criminal charges against the mom, said he remained convinced that the case was best left to family court and child protective services.

Prior to learning the court's decision, Forsyth had said he was uncertain whether the baby should be placed with either parent. But after learning that the judge had awarded custody to the father, Forsyth told 24 Hour News 8 that if Kent County Child Protective Services had determined, after a thorough investigation, that the baby would be safe and secure with the father, he was fine with that decision.