If the issue before the Court was whether the Pages were attached to Lexi, the lawsuit would already be over. In an adoption matter, a family’s desire for the child is not the primary concern of the court. The most important question in an adoption case should be whether the child is attached to the rest of the family.

In this case, no one contends that Lexi is not attached to the rest of the Page family. By all accounts, she has been from early on in the placement.

All parties agreed that Lexi loves the Pages & she sees them as mommy & daddy along with the Page siblings as her siblings. “The evidence is uncontroverted that Alexandria is extremely bonded to the [P.s] and that she sees this family as her primary attachment.” (Page 13) This case is not about a foster mommy & daddy, or a family in Utah—this case is about a little girl, who she views as family, and what she has gone through to get to where she was in March- “The P.s addressed Alexandria’s attachment issues with consistency and loving care.” (Page 13) Anyone who thinks otherwise should take a deep look at attachment theory and the proven science behind what children need—permanence and continuity. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/106/5/1145.long

• “Paramount in the lives of these children is their need for continuity with their primary attachment figures and a sense of permanence that is enhanced when placement is stable”
• “The emotional consequences of multiple placements or disruptions are likely to be harmful at any age, and the premature return of a child to the biologic parents often results in return to foster care or ongoing emotional trauma to the child. Children with attachment disorders and an inability to trust and love often grow up to vent their rage and pain on society.”
• “Any intervention that separates a child from the primary caregiver who provides psychological support should be cautiously considered and treated as a matter of urgency and profound importance.”
• “The child, rather than running away (the “flight” response), may learn to become psychologically disengaged, leading to detachment, apathy, and excessive daydreaming”
• “Impersonal placement settings do not effectively support young children who have been abused and neglected. Bureaucratic proceedings, including conferring legal status, are usually of little or no consequence to children, whose needs are much more fundamental. Generally, assignment of custody should reinforce a child’s perception of belonging and should not disrupt established psychological ties except when safety or emotional well-being are in jeopardy.”
• “Children need continuity, consistency, and predictability from their caregiver. Multiple placements are injurious.”