The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Chapter 4 Drop
123Chikadee:
The Carpenters, more or less. In that time Guatemala of the 1980's and 90's, there were plenty of wealthy foreigners buying or outright kidnapping children to the point where the Guatemalan government closed its doors on international adoption so that its system could be reformed.
The US State Dept announced that it wouldn't allow for anymore adoptions until Guatemala's adoption procedures were fully Hague compliant, with only a handful of agencies allowed to do so and only after social services tried tried to find a home for the child in their own family or community.
To quote the recap, "Furthermore, international adoptions involve federal oversight, state oversight, passports, visas, hearings, documentation, admission quotas, and social workers checking to see about living space and family finances, and take, oh, about a year to two years to finalize."
{... }"And once she was in Chicago, the Carpenters went to Father Forthill at St. Mary of the Angels and asked him to arrange for them to adopt her -- exactly the type of private international adoption that, by the time of Changes, was no longer allowed by Guatemala or the United States"
So yeah, I would say yes formal adoption would be required. I'm not sure what arrangements Susan made but Maggie was placed with the Mendozas'. Even if it wasn't 'formal' adoption, they'd still have to put something on Maggie's information, so it's a safe bet that she does have Guatemalan citizenship.
Maggie's parents citizenship doesn't matter in this case, as she wasn't living with them. Harry didn't even know she existed and I don't think he'd even be listed as the father on her birth certificate. He's only known her for about a year as well. I don't know how many, if any parental rights he'd have under the law.
@Dina: Oh def that was a rough convo for Eb and Harry. I liked but yeah, that was hard to read. I do hope they get to talk more. They both need it.Yeah, I've been thinking on that too. On safe as possible, that ship may have sailed but...I dunno I just don't feel that comfy with that since all the really dangerous opponents like the WCV, the Denarians, and the Winter Court know about her and really there's only so much Harry(and his allies) can do to keep her safe. And yeah, no place is going to be 100% safe but that's still a pretty big jump to go from there to literal monsters trying to kill/torture/gaslight/etc you.
Right! Poor Maggie. She does need the best but I'm just worried that Harry might not be able to give it to her no matter how much he loves her.
Dina:
As I reader, I would love nothing more than to see Maggie protected in magical tower a la Rapunzel, far, far away from Harry. But in universe, I think Harry is doing the best that he can about her and Eb would need to accept it. Of course, he probably won't have the time.
Maggie herself is probably going to have a voice soon. She may be scared and have social issues but, as she is Susan and Harry's child, I am pretty sure she is stubborn as a brick wall. I bet she will want to be with Harry.
123Chikadee:
Well sometimes kids have to be separated from their parents for their own safety unfortunately.
morriswalters:
I question what Jim is trying to accomplish with Maggie. When daddies throwing fireballs at monsters where does the child go? Daycare for wizards?
Mira:
--- Quote ---The Carpenters, more or less. In that time Guatemala of the 1980's and 90's, there were plenty of wealthy foreigners buying or outright kidnapping children to the point where the Guatemalan government closed its doors on international adoption so that its system could be reformed.
--- End quote ---
If Maggie was Guatemalan, but she wasn't, born in Guatemala maybe, but her parents were both American, that makes her a natural born American.
--- Quote ---{... }"And once she was in Chicago, the Carpenters went to Father Forthill at St. Mary of the Angels and asked him to arrange for them to adopt her -- exactly the type of private international adoption that, by the time of Changes, was no longer allowed by Guatemala or the United States"
--- End quote ---
It wasn't an international adoption, little Maggie was always American.
--- Quote ---Maggie's parents citizenship doesn't matter in this case, as she wasn't living with them. Harry didn't even know she existed and I don't think he'd even be listed as the father on her birth certificate. He's only known her for about a year as well. I don't know how many, if any parental rights he'd have under the law.
--- End quote ---
Oh parents claim rights all of the time, or rather it happens. Especially when babies are adopted, the mother gives the child up, but the father at the time cannot be found. Some have come back even a few years later to demand their parental rights. Now that maybe reformed, but oddly blood matters more than nurturing.. Also it isn't clear that little Maggie was formally adopted by the family she lived with, they may have merely fostered her. Actually I cannot see Susan giving her baby up for adoption, if she had, the Red King might not have been able to trace her. Whether Harry's name is on the birth certificate or not, there is something called a DNA test.
--- Quote ---Well sometimes kids have to be separated from their parents for their own safety unfortunately.
--- End quote ---
Yes, but not as often as they should. However in those cases they need a lot of proof that the parent is harming the child. There is no proof that Harry is abusing her nor that she is in danger where she is living. Also I doubt that the Carpenters would have allowed her to go and live with Harry if they felt she was in danger by doing so.
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