Four-year-old returned to biological mother

ATLANTA - A DeKalb County Juvenile Court judge has ordered that a four-year-old girl who has lived with a foster family since she was eight days old be returned to her biological mother. <br> <br> The judge ordered the return of Epifania Crane to her mother -- Stephanie Crane-Domingue -- Thursday against the recommendation of DeKalb County child welfare officials. <br> <br> Judge Robin Nash also ordered her six-year-old brother -- Dae&#39;lin James Crane -- back to the children&#39;s mother, who lives in Commerce. <br> <br> The DeKalb County Department of Family and Children Services had petitioned the judge to keep the children in the department&#39;s custody. <br> <br> But the judge said the department had failed to prove that either of the children would be deprived if returned to their mother. <br> <br> The girl has lived with Bonnie Gunter and Rene Jimenez since she was eight days old. <br> <br> Child welfare officials called Gunter and asked her to take her into her home. The child had cocaine in her system. Jimenez says she was a crack baby. <br> <br> The mother says she had overcome her addiction and has been clean since 1999. She drove the child away in a minivan last night after a child welfare worker took Nia from her foster father.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/191237