Twelve-year-old Gregory Kingsley is in court asking a judge to give him a divorce from his natural mother and father. He wants his foster parents, George and Lizabeth Russ, to adopt him. Gregory's lawyers say that Gregory's natural mother Rachel Kingsley, as not taken good care of him. They say that she abandoned him because she sent him to live with relatives and foster parents.
Gregory has lived for many years as a foster child, Gregory tells the judge that his mother is cold and doesn't seem to care about him. He says that for many years, his mother sent him no cards, no letters, Christmas gifts, and no birthday presents.
“I thought she forgot about me,” he says.
Other people describe Rachel Kingsley as a person who abuses drugs and alcohol. They say that she spent more time partying with male visitors than she spent with Gregory and his two younger brothers. They also say that she sometimes hit the children.
Gregory says that she kept marijuana in a brown box in the living room. He also says "She stayed out all night and brought her friend’s home and drank. We never had enough money, and sometimes we didn't have food.” Mrs. Kingsley says she tries to be a good mother. She says she had to send Gregory away for a while because she didn't have enough money to take care of him. At the time, she didn't have a job. Now she has two jobs, and she is living near her parents, who can help her take care of the children.
She thought it would be better for Gregory to live with a foster family while she was having financial problems, but she never wanted him to be away from her and his brothers permanently. She says, “I thought that if I worked hard, he would be returned to me.
Her lawyer says that Rachel problems were temporary and that she is trying to become a responsible parent. He also says that the rights of a natural family to remain together are stronger than the rights of a foster family.
Her father believes that she has learned from her mistakes and should be given a second chance.