Transition Plan Gives 'Baby Veronica' 7 Days To Say Goodbye To Her Dad

A South Carolina transition plan gives an Oklahoma father one week to turn over custody of his daughter, Veronica, to the couple fighting to adopt her.

Tuesday, July 30th 2013, 5:34 pm

By: News On 6


A South Carolina couple Wednesday will explain in court how they'll take an Oklahoma girl from her father.

The hearing is the latest step in the "Baby Veronica" custody battle.

The plan has to be approved in court and would give Dusten Brown seven days to say goodbye to Veronica.

Two experts put the plan together, including a Tulsa woman who is Cherokee. They say a drawn out transition only creates more anxiety.

7/24/2013 Related Story: Court Denies Rehearing In Baby Veronica Case, Orders Adoption Finalized

Veronica's future in Oklahoma is broken down to one week in a South Carolina transition plan.

"It's just devastating to hear what they decided on," Dusten Brown said.

Veronica's father is at National Guard training and isn't scheduled to return until for at least three more weeks.

The plan says someone else should take his place by showing Veronica pictures of Matt and Melanie Capobianco. Meanwhile, the couple plans on traveling to Oklahoma to get the girl.

"We're really excited about that and we're looking forward to seeing her again soon when we have the opportunity to do so," said Melanie Capobianco.

The Capobiancos have been trying to adopt Veronica since she was born. They raised Veronica the first two years of her life, before Brown got custody.

Read the Capobiancos motion for judgment

Read the full transition plan

During the transition back to South Carolina, the Capobiancos would spend a half-day with Veronica for the first two days.

The third day, the couple would spend the entire day with Veronica.

Veronica will stay the night with the couple on day four.

Brown joins Veronica and the Capobiancos for one meal on days five and six.

By the seventh day, the Capobiancos would leave with Veronica.

The plan says Veronica will most likely grieve and either withdraw or act out. Experts suggest distracting her with a cookie, games and cartoons.

It suggests the Capobiancos keep Veronica on the same schedule to prevent her from feeling abandoned or rejected, but her grandparents think that's exactly what will happen.

"I'm just so afraid that this is going to scar her," said the girl's paternal grandmother, Alice Brown.

The plan says Dusten Brown can not visit Veronica for at least two months, and she can not stay at his home until a year has passed.

It also says if there are too many hard feelings or too much grief between Brown and the Capobiancos, the seven-day transition period will be cut short.

If the South Carolina court approves the transition plan Wednesday, the Cherokee Nation says the transfer order would have to be sent to Oklahoma, and Oklahoma can choose not to enforce it.

If the state honors it, the Cherokee Nation can fight it.

Also, Dusten Brown has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the handover of his daughter. The high court has not ruled on that motion yet.

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