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Thursday, July 18, 2002

By Barbara White Stack, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

The wayward toddler who was found by Knoxville residents Sunday will remain in a new foster home, but an older child will return to the foster parents whose actions led to the toddler's disappearance.

Common Pleas Judge Eugene F. Scanlon Jr. yesterday approved requests from Allegheny County's Office of Children, Youth and Families to leave the toddler in his new foster home and to return a 12-year-old to the foster parents who'd cared for her without problem for five years and who plan to adopt her.

The toddler, who will be 2 next month, had been with the elderly foster couple for 4 1/2 months, since his mother was evicted from a residential drug treatment program, where the boy had lived with her.

The couple had given the boy to their son and his wife for the weekend. That couple's 15-year-old daughter took the boy to a park Sunday evening and lost track of him.

Knoxville residents found the child and turned him over to police, who gave him to CYF officials. The child's caseworker reported to Scanlon that the boy is fine and happy in his new foster home.

Because the foster couple had violated regulations by placing the toddler with someone without CYF permission, the agency removed the couple's 12-year-old and 3-year-old foster daughters this week to ensure the home was safe.

Yesterday, the agency asked Scanlon to return the 12-year-old to the couple, and Scanlon agreed.

A hearing has not yet been conducted on the 3-year-old, but CYF will recommend that the youngster remain in her new foster home and not be returned to the elderly couple, who suffer health problems.