State seeks to close A Child's Waiting, the agency responsible for coercing Stephanie Bennett

State seeks to close adoption agency
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Decision in case

Meanwhile, A Child's Waiting won a decision last week in Summit County Probate Court involving a contested adoption, an attorney said.

Teenager Stephanie Bennett of Canton has been trying to regain custody of her daughter, Evelyn, since 2006. She had agreed to the adoption but later regretted the decision. Evelyn a few months old at the time.

Bennett has alleged that she was forced into the adoption by the child's father and that the agency urged her to run away from home to avoid scrutiny from her parents.

A magistrate determined that there was no duress involved, Bennett's attorney, Jennifer Lowry, said. Lowry said she is appealing the decision.

State investigators also have concluded that there was no evidence that Bennett was asked to run away. But the agency was cited for several procedural and paperwork violations related to the adoption.

The state announced last May that it was reviewing the agency's state license because of the Bennett case and a history of similar violations.

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