Family Hit by Storm Gives Up Children

Two children whose adoptive parents gave them back after being devastated by Hurricane Andrew “need extra, extra love” from new foster parents, a judge said Friday in terminating the adoption.

The boy and girl, previously given up by their biological parents, had suffered enough, Dade Juvenile Judge Adele S. Faske said.

“They’ve been rejected twice in their lives, and they certainly can’t take any more,” the judge said.

The adoptive mother said Friday that the family’s losses in the storm were “just the straw that broke the camel’s back.” She also said they could not handle the boy’s behavior.

Faske ordered the children to remain with foster parents Joe and Patricia Reddick, who have been caring for them for about a month. Mrs. Reddick said before the hearing that they were considering whether to adopt the brother and sister.

“They want to stay. They just said they weren’t happy there,” Patricia Reddick said. “They’ve never had any problems since they’ve been staying with us.”