Judge signs custody agreement
Court ruling determines status of children switched at birth

Jacqueline Roper, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Conley and Chittum were switched at birth in 1995 at the University Medical Center.
DAN LOPEZ - CAVALIER DAILY FILE PHOTO

Stafford County Circuit Court Judge James W. Haley Jr. approved an agreement Friday made between the families of two girls switched at birth in 1995 at the University Medical Center.

The agreement determines the custody status of Callie Conley, the child residing in Stafford County. The custody arrangement for Rebecca Chittum, the other child, was decided in a Buena Vista court in November.

The Stafford County agreement allows both children to remain with the families who raised them while granting visitation to the biological families.

Haley signed the order presented to the court on Friday, said Cynthia Johnson, attorney for Paula Johnson, who is Rebecca Chittum's biological mother.

The switch was discovered in July 1998 following a custody dispute between Paula Johnson and her ex-boyfriend Carlton Conley. Results from DNA tests showed neither Johnson nor Carlton were the biological parents of Callie Conley. Medical Center officials soon identified the other child involved as Rebecca Chittum, who left the hospital with Kevin Chittum and Whitney Rogers of Buena Vista. The couple was killed in a car accident a few days before officials tried to contact them. Chittum's and Rogers's parents share custody of Rebecca.

In November, a Buena Vista judge denied Paula Johnson custody of her biological daughter Rebecca. The court decreed she would stay with the Rogers and Chittums, and that Paula Johnson would have visitation rights, said Michael A. Groot, attorney for the Chittums.

Johnson then filed to formally adopt Callie so her rights as a parent would be recognized. But with Friday's agreement, Johnson and the Chittums both dropped their bids to adopt Callie.


http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=3853&pid=562

What are your opinions on this controversy? And would you like to move back to your real family permanently if you found out that you were switched at birth?

:-x :-x :-x :-x :-x

@topic

depends on wat must have ensured all along.

Lets say, your parents treated you well throughout your pre-teen life, and you led a normal, memorable life growing up with your siblings. Then the unexpected occurs with the shocking news from the family court, that an unfortunate circumstance led to you being switched at birth. And, now your biological parents want you back. What do you do? The child they had been raising, meanwhile was also switched and thus, belongs to the parents who raised you up. You have the opportunity of either being swapped with the other child back to your real parents, or you choose to cut off ties with your biological parents. What are your choices?

Really hard. Will likely decide to stick where I am raised already, but may drop the surname for my children and start my own genealogy.

If the biological parents are better off, they may assist in upbringing. Will be visiting them and also accept them naturally.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, i think i might just stay with the parents n siblings i av always known, cos i dont gel easily n dat might just be a problem if i go 2 d parents i am nt used 2. It would really be a strange world 2 me.

I will definitely want to go back to my original family, since I'm most likely to begin feeling somehow awkward in the home where I had been raised.

if they are rich, sure.

@ poster
I guess you were switc.h/ed//.

poor or rich i will go back to my biological parents except if they don't want me. but i will remain not just grateful but loyal also to my surogate parents.

Not unless my "fake" parents were evil people who molested children.  I would definitely want a chance at a better life with baboons as parents if possible.  Same thing applies if my real parents were idiots.  I would definitely would want to live with a more caring set of forster parents.


Only and only if the parents were evil I say. Otherwise, my real parents and are would remain friends only.  I don't like that kind change in childhood. I love stability. It would just feel nice to have the ones I had in my infancy as my parents for ever.

Things happen for a reason and I think I could deal with the situation of letting my biological parents know that no hard feelings but I can't leave my "fake" parents. Especially if they have been so good to me.  We can remain friends.

Ndipe:

Lets say, your parents treated you well throughout your pre-teen life, and you led a normal, memorable life growing up with your siblings. Then the unexpected occurs with the shocking news from the family court, that an unfortunate circumstance led to you being switched at birth. And, now your biological parents want you back. What do you do? The child they had been raising, meanwhile was also switched and thus, belongs to the parents who raised you up. You have the opportunity of either being swapped with the other child back to your real parents, or you choose to[b] cut off ties with your biological parents.[/b] What are your choices?

Thanks for the clarification. 

I repeat, I ain't going no where!  I stay "friends" with the "biological" parents! It is just "biology" not a guarantee or insurance for happiness.  If it ain't broke, ain't norrrring to fix!

Great post spermdrops. There is no more and no less to that. But maaaaaan, easy on the abuses. lol!

jamah:

Great post spermdrops. There is no more and no less to that. But maaaaaan, easy on the abuses. lol!

Thanks!

If you notice, the posters who get abuses really need them!

No. I definitely would not go back. "He who raises a child is the legal parent of the child". And they're the only family I know anyway.

Spermdrops:

Not unless my "fake" parents were evil people who molested children.

To me they would always be my parents not fake parents!

Yea absolutely couldn't ask for a better parents. Everyday is not great but yea I luv me parants