Sonet v. Unknown Father
Court of Appeals of Tennessee
797 S.W.2d 1 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990)
Sonet (plaintiff), 65 years old, took in infant Joseph after his teenage mother surrendered him and petitioned to adopt, but over the following two years child-welfare authorities received five neglect referrals related to Sonet's inexperience caring for an infant, Joseph was briefly removed from her care during an out-of-state trip, and a later medical evaluation found he was environmentally deprived and developmentally delayed; the trial court denied Sonet's adoption petition based on her age, parenting limitations, and Joseph's failure to thrive, awarding custody to the state, and Sonet appealed.
Whether the best interest of the child is the primary consideration in an adoption proceeding.