LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is working with lawmakers and the Department of Human Services to potentially change state adoption procedures after a House member gave his adopted daughters to a man who later admitted to sexually abusing one of them.
Hutchinson met with two legislators after they filed bills this week to criminalize “re-homing,” an informal term for transferring an adopted child to an unrelated family without state oversight. The lawmakers acted after the Arkansas Times newspaper reported that the adopted daughter of Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork was abused.
Harris said Friday that the children had behavioral problems and professionals recommended the transfer.
Only a handful of states have enacted laws to regulate “re-homing,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado and Wisconsin regulate the advertising of adopted children, while Louisiana and Florida have criminalized the “re-homing” practice. Ohio has safeguards against trading money or goods in return for an adopted child.
Harris’ attorney, Jennifer Wells, said the lawmaker and his wife adopted the 6- and 3-year-old girls in March 2013 at the request of the children’s mother. Seven months later, Wells said, he gave the girls to a longtime family friend who had worked at Harris’ family-owned preschool. Wells said the wives of Harris and Eric Francis had known each other for 20 years and that the Francis family had passed background checks for international adoptions.