[ftyers]

I really didn't get this part:

> But according to the information provided by her parents, “This family has drastically changed their lifestyle and have left their faith and extended family for a quiet, secluded life.” It is their hope that “a different family will step forward who can provide her with the socialization and continued relationship with God that she desires.”

So they're saying that they are getting rid of her because she is too religious at the age of 10 to fit into their lives?

I kind of feel like something is missing there.

[dahdum]

It sounds a bit like the family might have been ostracized from their church, friends, and extended family after leaving their faith. Those relationships may have been critical to the child's wellbeing, covering up poor parent/sibling relations. Or losing them caused behavioral issues all around.

Just speculation of course. My gut says if we knew all the details we'd have a harder time passing judgement on the parents.

[ftyers]

According to the article:

> In other posts with more pictures, the reader learns that Reese is the youngest of four daughters; the other three are the biological children of her parents. She gets straight A’s. She loves her parents and her sisters.

But I agree, I wasn't passing judgement, I just thought that the motivation was a bit specious, and to specifically call out personal religious preference when talking about a 10 year old is super weird.

[ratww]

There is a link on the article that provides a few more details.

https://wiaa.org/child/reese-placed/

> This is a child with no special needs but wants to be in a family who goes to church. She loves to sing praise songs and read her Bible. She and her parents want her to be in a family that does this. She gets along with everyone and has no major behavioral problems. Her parents want her to be in a family that is involved in church, and church related activities.

[gambiting]

That's still crazy. A 10 year old's opinion on this should be humoured, but not to the extent where they put her up for adoption.

[Lascaille]

The adoption was probably pushed through the church and it's a 'if you leave the church you have to give the kid back' sort of deal. Just a hunch.

[oneoff786]

The bigger red flag there is leaving their extended family for a secluded life imo. This has a wide range of possible interpretations.

[song]

This kind of sounds like the parents joined a cult... The secluded life, leaving extended family...

Of course, pure speculation, but this way of writing reminds me of what I've heard in the past from people in cults.

[addaon]

Or left a cult...

[axiomsEnd]

It sounds a bit like being shunned from some controlling church.

[Ekaros]

I wonder if the girl would also need some de-programming... Might be situation where parents want to get away, but girl is still into it.

[tragomaskhalos]

Baffling indeed, but I doubt further context would alter my conclusion that these parents are heartless scumbags.

[axiolite]

> “This family has drastically changed their lifestyle and have left their faith and extended family for a quiet, secluded life.”

> So they're saying that they are getting rid of her because she is too religious at the age of 10 to fit into their lives?

Actually, it sounded to me as if the family went full-on Ruby Ridge, moving into an off-grid cabin in the woods, preparing for the rapture.

[ip26]

Note this is in Utah. They didn’t leave just any church; they left the Mormon church.

[vorpalhex]

That sort of thing is pretty rare. Statistically alone, it is more likely they left a church.

[xwdv]

A child starts getting very expensive after age 10. Most likely, this child had served its purpose in their lives and the parents are done with their parenthood phase. It is time for someone else to take over while they travel the world and enjoy the finer things in life child free. It is possible they were just pressured into being parents by their extended family, but they didn’t really want to be.

[magneticnorth]

It's even more heart-breaking than that - this girl is the youngest of 4 daughters. Her 3 older sisters are biological children and presumably are being kept by the parents.

[massysett]

They get cheaper as they get older. Child care for infants is extremely expensive, or the opportunity cost of staying home and watching them.

Are you thinking college? Despite what expensive selective private colleges want you to think, parents do not have to pay for it.

[xwdv]

With that logic, a child can be super cheap if you just pay the bare minimum to live. No cars, no phones, no college.

[Handytinge]

What a weird list of bare minimums. What child requires a car or phone?

If they want one, surely they can get a job and pay for one?

[xwdv]

If those don’t qualify for bare minimums to you, I shudder to think about what you think are actual bare minimums.

[Handytinge]

I live in an area with sane public transport, and if my kids need to get somewhere I can also drive them.

The amount of children with cars in my area would be a singular percentage.

As to phones, why would your child require a phone? I'm sure there are some useful scenarios - obsessive tracking, easy contact, etc - but these aren't necessary. For hundreds of generations kids didn't have phones (and billions around the world still don't), and it's rarely an issue.