Read the article. The foster parents did adopt the child.
The father’s rights were terminated since he had been sentenced for more than 10 years and the child was under 8 (TN law). And the mother waived her rights to the child.
The child’s paternal grandmother wanted custody, I don’t know why they didn’t give her to her.
But at some point the father’s sentence got commuted to 8 years, and he never waived his rights to the kid. He won in appeals court on the grounds that the court didn’t follow due process in the adoption process.
That poor girl will be living in a home where the mother will resent her being there. The mother obviously didn’t want her, so chances are the mother will indeed be abusive.
Yes, it is strange that child protection did not place the child with family members, especially the paternal grandmother, in the first place.
In returning the girl back to her biological father, one would think the court should have at least set up a transitional period.